SHADE
by Will-the-Tankadin
Summary: A shadowy antihero has taken a liking to Raven, taunting her with riddles and... flirtation. She cannot help but want to solve the mystery and find out his true identity. He seems to know too much about her... Who is he? RavenxOC
1. Where can you find a Siren?

Wow! I'm finally back! What's it been, two months? _Three_? I thought I'd come back with a whole new breed of story! If you're already in here, you've taken into account that there is one OC (Original Character) in this story. But… I think you'll like him. smile If anyone out there remembers me, sing out… if not, could you please review anyway? Even just a 'loved it' or 'hated it' would be very generous. But… please don't flame me without good reason! I'm sensitive and stuff… -- But, now that I'm back, I hope that you lot enjoy the fruits of my labor. I don't own Teen Titans, but I do own the OC named Shade. So… enjoy my latest creation…

SHADE 

**Part 1: Where can you find a Siren?**

A dark, slender figure worked carefully in the night, hands moving with almost inhuman grace. The dark gave him solace, away from the rest of the world so he would have time to complete his task. A paintbrush in his hand and a buffer in the other… the mask was done. He held it into the small lamp's light, and it glistened with its smooth coat of wax. "Soon." The figure said. "Soon, I'll take you for a test drive. I just need…" He paused and set the paintbrush aside, into a waiting cup of water. "…the right _opportunity_." His eyes narrowed, portraying amusement and even a hit of malice. "_Huuuhm_……" He sighed, checking his work over. He looked over to the wall. A newspaper clipping was taped there, the headline reading: TITANS SAVE THE DAY FROM PLASMUS in big bold lettering. They were in the paper every other day, so it wasn't exactly hard to get a picture of his target. A soft, low laugh burbled in his throat. "_Raven_…" he smiled softly, holding the mask up. It was completely black, with two tiny white slits for eyes. "I'll be there soon…" he murmured a small laugh, and clicked the tiny lamp out.

The T-car squealed around the corner as the Titans raced to the scene. Mumbo Jumbo was robbing a bank in the middle of the night… _again_. "Dude, what would he _do_ with that money if he got away! Why's he always robbing a bank? Can't he think of anything better to do?" Beast Boy wanted to know, tapping his foot impatiently as they skidded to a halt. He was not happy for being awakened in the middle of the night. Everyone else was in a sour mood as well, especially the dark-cloaked girl.

"Good question." Raven said flatly, opening the door and piling out with the rest of her friends. Running towards the bank in a V-formation, the saw Mumbo kick the door of the bank open and start running down the street. Money was flying after him like a swarm of bees, and he gestured. It all crammed itself endlessly into his hat, which he then placed back on his head.

He came to a skidding halt, seeing the Titans in his way. "_Titans_! Sorry, no autographs!" He pointed his wand. "_Mumbo_ _Jumbo_!" The asphalt they were standing on liquefied, and everyone's feet sank in. Then, it all turned hard again! Mumbo ran down the street, laughing.

Beast Boy turned into a hummingbird, instantly out of his bonds. He raced after Mumbo, becoming a large, green dog. They raced around the corner and into the alleyway. His dog nose suddenly smelled something odd… and it wasn't Mumbo. An odd scent was heading their way… coming closer as they raced around the block.

Back with the other Titans, Cyborg gave a hard heave and tore his metal feet from the pavement. Raven was enshrouded in her dark aura, then simply levitated out of her trap. Starfire blasted herself free, and then went to help Robin. Soon, they were all free and following after Beast Boy's signal on the T-communicators. A garbage truck went by, and they lost him. "Robin cursed softly, then pointed each Titan down a separate alleyway. They split up, seeing who would catch the villain first.

Darkness followed Mumbo. It streaked through the night, silent like a ninja. Quick but gentle muscle coordination led him down a fire escape, and he landed right in front of the running Mumbo. "I lost dog boy! Haha _ha_! You can't sniff out a professional magician! I left a false trail!" he was looking over his shoulder as he spoke, and finally looked ahead. A slender, darkly dressed figure was standing squarely in front of him. "_Yah_!" He rode his own heels trying to stop, and the wind made his magician's cape flare.

The newcomer was dressed in all black, no skin showing whatsoever. His mask, black with white slits for eyes, glared at him with a constant… well… _glare_. His skintight suite complimented smaller muscles, but hinted at the reliance on speed. The silver belt around his waist carted a few gadgets, not unlike what Robin usually wore… just not as fancy. A rope, some wires for picking locks, a pocketknife, and… of all things… a _rose_. Mumbo stared at him for a few seconds before cocking an eyebrow. "I said '_no autographs_!'" He pointed his wand and a beam of magic blasted forth!

Raven rounded the corner, having split up to look for Mumbo in the endless alleyways of Jump City. Beast Boy's signal was on top of a building, probably looking for a bird's eye view of Mumbo to alert the others… but _Raven_ was the one to find him. "I found you." Raven said, just in time to see Mumbo aim a blast at the dark figure that was barring his way.

The stranger raised his hand as quick as lightning. A round, silvery object was in his palm. The beam bounced off and blasted Mumbo off his feet. It was a _mirror_. Raven stared, dumbfounded at what she was seeing. Some stranger, taking out Mumbo without having to even put forth any effort? Blasting him with his own magic… using a _mirror_ of all things. Raven approached slowly, and found the dark figure looking at her through the white slits of his mask. The glare was gone, but he didn't take his eyes off her. "Red X?" she said cautiously, black beginning to outline her hands.

"No." The voice was made odd by some sort of voice distorter, hidden inside the mask. He reached for his belt, pulling out the rose. "The name …is _Shade_. Flower for the lady?" He said, his eyes narrowing. Raven's guard was up, but she was slightly taken aback. He tossed it high and her eyes followed it. When it landed at her feet she looked… only to find him _gone_! Raven looked in all directions, even skyward, for the stranger named Shade. Shocked that he'd vanished without a sound, Raven looked back to Mumbo. He was thoroughly knocked out, so she reached for her T-communicator.

"Got him." Raven said, kneeling to pick up the flower. It wasn't from a flower shop, she knew, because it still had thorns on its sides. The rose, the deepest red Raven had ever seen, glistened with fresh dew, as though it had just been picked moments ago. "Shade… _huh_?" A tiny slip of paper was wrapped around one of the thorns, then pierced to hold it in place. It was no bigger than a fortune cookie's fortune, and she carefully pulled it free. There was a tiny, typed pair of sentences on it.

_Where can you find a **Siren**? Meet me there alone, midnight, in three days._

Raven, the reader of mystery and horror novels, found her interest very suddenly peaked. Who was this '_Shade'_, and why –? "_Raven_!" It was Robin's voice, just around the corner. She retreated into her cloak, hiding the rose and the message on it.

"I am glad for your safety, friend Raven!" Starfire chirped, landing from the sky. She smiled when she found her friend victorious, making little jumps to show girlish excitement as she giggled.

Beast Boy came from the other way Robin had, his nose still to the ground. When he saw Mumbo was down, he turned human again. "Aw _man_! I was the first one out the trap, and I didn't even get to _catch_ him!" He stood erect, grumbling to himself. Cyborg soon appeared as well, stocky and a little slower than the rest due to his metal body. "_Cyborg_! You'll back me up, _right_? I _so_ had this guy before Raven did!"

"Quiet, you. What matters is he was _caught_. Who did it is _irrelevant_." Raven snapped gothically, back to her sour mood. "Let's just drop him off in jail, and get back to bed." The others agreed, and it was so. On the ride home, Raven could feel the soft petals of the flower pressed against her, but she didn't want to show her friends. Not yet. This Shade character wanted to meet her… wherever this riddle pointed, _alone_. She leaned against the door of the T-car, looking out across the city as they passed it. Who was this stranger… and why did he want to meet her so much? Why now? Who was he –

"Earth to _Raven_!" Beast Boy said, clearly annoyed she wasn't listening. They had arrived at home, and Raven saw Cyborg's garage outside her window. "You spending the night in the _car_?" Raven rose without a word and vanished through the ceiling, on the way to her room. "I hate it when she does that…" Beast Boy grumbled, wandering back to bed as the other Titans did the same.

Starfire smiled as she entered her room, glad to be back to bed and having Silkie to cuddle with. Cyborg lay down on his charge table. Robin rubbed his eyes as he grunted into bed. Beast Boy sighed, pulling a smelly sock off of his pillow before shutting his eyes. Raven… stayed up.

Raven was in the Titan's mainframe room. The giant computer was awaiting orders, and she typed them as she spoke aloud. "Jump City map…" an enormous grid came up, showing the outlines of buildings, alleys, bodies of water and elevations. She looked at it for a moment, sitting in the deep though position she often found Robin in. Stroking her chin and finally pulling her hood back so she would see more, she typed in a specification. "Fire… _departments_…" she typed the first siren she could think of, which was a fire truck's siren. She waited for the computer to process, gently turning the flower in her hands. It was perhaps the most _perfect_ rose Raven had ever seen, picked it its prime and delivered with all speed. Whoever grew it knew a great deal about growing them… the computer gave a beep that it was done, and Raven frowned.

Jump City had _four_ fire departments. Each was placed at a strategic place in Jump City to help fight fires, but Raven saw no clue that would help her. What other sorts of sirens where there? Raven started typing again. "Police… _departments_." She spoke again as she typed. She wasn't used to handling a computer, so she was a slow typer. She hit _enter_ and waited. "The police cars have sirens…" she was met with equal disappointment, though. Jump City had more than _five_ police departments. "Well, with all the super villains, who can blame them…" Raven muttered, though she was _not_ pleased. "What other sirens _are there_, Shade…?" She looked at the tiny slip of paper again, gently rotating the rose. She read and reread the message, over and over. She suddenly realized something. "The word _siren_ is capitalized…" She murmured. She opened another search, muttering the word as she found the keys. "Search… Siren with a capital 'S.'" She made sure it was capitalized, and hit enter. She leaned back in the high-backed chair, watching the computer process its own thoughts. "C'mon……" Raven murmured, eager to solve the mystery. "_Huh_?" Raven frowned when a whole new window popped up. "Cape Siren, Jump City harbor…?" she typed an inquiry, asking for more information. She received a newspaper clipping and read it aloud. "Jump City is proud to announce the opening of its first lighthouse at the harbor, half a mile beyond the edge of the pier… blah blah _blah_………" she skimmed onward, glancing at the newspaper's date. It was about a year before the Titans came to Jump City. Raven scrolled down to read more and gasped. "Siren the _creature_!" Raven stood hard, the chair falling violently on its back. There was a picture in the article. One that gave the answer to Shade's riddle. The gothic Titan knew exactly where to go… and she only had to wait three days to find out more about this mysterious figure. Shade… _who was he_?

So… uhm… does anyone like this so far? I'm open to imput! Just for reference to those who come to often… I'll try to post a new chapter _everyday_. There will be precisely _eleven_ parts to this story, this story called Shade. Uhm… embarrassed smile I hope you lot are enjoying it so far. And, although the story is already complete, and will be submitted in _parts_, I'll try to make no more than two days between each submission. I repeat, the story is ALREADY FINISHED and being submitted bit by bit, so stick around! _It's gonna be fun_!


	2. What's the Opposite of a Raven?

I thought I would go ahead and submit part two for everyone's enjoyment! Yay! I don't own Teen Titans, but Shade is a character I made, n'kay? Please enjoy, and kindly review so I know if you like it or not! Thankies!

**Part 2: What's the Opposite of a Raven?**

Shade smiled to himself, sitting in the darkness. It was the middle of the night, and he still couldn't sleep. So he'd made contact, and dropped his first flag. Would Raven figure out his words in time, or would she share them with her friends? "No… she's smart enough to do it on her own." Shade murmured, interlocking his fingers and smiling. His mask sat on his desk, amongst his suite and utility belt. Standing and carefully folding them into a suitcase, he stored them away. Raven would be there… now he just had to be there too. Shade smiled as he retired to bed, removing his gloves and running his fingers through his hair. Popping his knuckles out of habit, he pulled his pillow up and closed his eyes.

It was three days later, evening, and Raven sat on the couch. She'd slept unusually late, which had worried her friends. She hinted that she was on her period, and was immiediatly left alone about it. Not even Beast Boy wanted to bother a PMS Raven. Not after the time she'd used her powers to glue his feet to the ceiling… But, she'd slept late for a different reason. She was going out that night, and only had to wait for all of her friends to go to bed. She was going to be awake and alert until midnight… out at cape Siren.

She slowly, carefully looked up from her book to survey the common room. The clock read 9:30. Cyborg and Beast Boy were going at it on Gamestation while Robin watched, waiting for his turn to play the winner. Starfire was occupying the kitchen, making one of her strange alien dishes as a late evening snack.

The gothic Titan returned to her book, the top of the page reading '_Sirens_.' _Sirens are one of the most famous creatures in mythology_, the book read. _They usually look like beautiful women, but have the bottom half of a fish. They weren't good, though. They would sit on rocks, and sing with voices so beautiful sailors would turn their ships towards their voices… and crash into the rocks, drowning them all_. Raven wondered, in the back of her mind, if Shade was flirting with her on some sort of subliminal level. There was the rose, too… She was Raven, but she was still a _teenager_… The goth quickly shook her head, clearing her mind of such stupid thoughts.

"Something wrong, Raven?" Robin asked carefully, wary of her words from earlier. "You need to lay down or something?"

"No, I'm just… _preoccupied_." Raven said carefully. "I think I'm going to go to my café, 'The Fireplace'." She stood, eager to leave but keeping her voice neutral. "Don't wait up." She said as the double doors of the elevator slid shut.

"Wonder what she's preoccupied with?" Cyborg said, fighting back and forth with his race car on the screen.

"Dude, if she's PMS-ing on us, I think she should do whatever she wants." Beast Boy said, racing as fast as he could to try and beat Cyborg. "If she wants some fresh air, give it to her. The farther away she is from gluing me to the ceiling again, the better." Cyborg snorted, laughing at the memory. Beast Boy took the opportunity and rammed his car off the road. "Gotcha! Beast Boy wins!" He thrust his hands into the air, laughing. "How'dya like _that_!" Cyborg looked shocked, and Robin snatched the controller, eager for his own turn.

Starfire smiled to herself, wondering how Earth boys could be so easily entertained with the racing of four-wheeled vehicles. She wondered, tasting her dish to see if it was done, if Raven would be okay out in the city at night. But, then she shrugged. Friend Raven could take care of herself, she was sure.

It was eleven-thirty at night. Raven had no intention of going to The Fireplace, as she'd told her friends… She found herself next to a rather impressive statue. She was out of Jump City entirely. The young goth was on a small, rocky island that only had two things on it. A large, bright lighthouse. And… a statue of a Siren. She was poised elegantly at the shoreline, a strong cement base keeping her dry. He rocks were wet with the lapping waves, but Raven was far enough from shore not to get her feet wet. The whole place was gloomy and quiet, the only sound was the waves.

The Siren was carved of stone, a beautifully carved mermaid who sang silently to no one. Just as Raven's book had described. Raven quoted the old newspaper she'd read on the computer in her mind, _Dr. Slump D. Due has donated a beautiful monument as well. This statue (pictured above) is to commemorate those who've crashed on the rocks of this harbor, and serve as a hallmark to those who see the lighthouse. To remind them of why the it is there…_

The darkly dressed Titan stood there in the cold of night. The ocean waters sent cold air up around the shore, sending a hard shiver down Raven's spine. She retreated into her cloak for warmth, clasping her hands impatiently. What if he didn't show? What if she was at the _wrong_ _place_? Questions spun in her head, but she quickly steadied herself. She was in the right place, and merely had to wait. The lighthouse spun at even intervals, casting light over the waters of the ocean. A beacon of hope to all who looked for it.

Raven wondered why he wanted to meet here. A dark, scary place with a cold, creepy statue? This was a place… _she_ would've picked. It was private, secluded, and the lighthouse keepers had no reason to come outside. "It's always darkest at the base of a lighthouse." Raven said aloud, remembering that old phrase. But, that phrase also had a double meaning, which was: _letting your guard down means things could happen right under your nose. Or, that some form of danger could be right in your face, hidden._ Raven sighed warily. "Darkest at the base… _mmm_…" She stood near the statue, looking up at the moon. Then, she looked down at the statue's shadow. When was he com– _The shadow was_ _wrong_! Raven whirled and found Shade sitting on the Siren's tail. They stared at each other for a long time, neither moving.

"Good job. You figured out my riddle." He said, his voice distorter still on behind the mask. He stood, hopping gracefully down to her level. Raven backed away a few steps, her hands glowing black as he tried to approach her. He put up a hand, "Easy, Raven. I'm not here to fight."

"Then why did you ask me out here? What do you _want_?" Raven snapped, suddenly regretting that she'd come alone. How could she have been so _stupid_?

"What do _you_ want?" He asked back at her. "_You_ took the time to figure out my riddle and came alone just like I asked. Ever ask yourself _why_?" He pointed to her as he spoke. Raven was taken aback, but said nothing. Sensing the awkward moment, Shade went on. "Do you like this statue?" he asked, coming and standing beside her. Within her cloak, Raven's powers formed a tiny blade on the end of her right hand. If he tried anything… _anything at all_, she would jab him in the gut with her black magic. "I do." He answered his own question, gesturing. "Have you seen the plaque at the bottom?" He gestured that she come see. Raven came along, keeping her weapon hidden. He knelt, and she knelt next to him. Sure enough, there was a crusty plaque near the bottom of the statue's base. It was beaten and weather-worn, but still readable. "It reminded me of _you_, so I thought you should see it." Shade said softly, watching Raven lean closer to read what it said.

In big, worn, _green-ish_ letters, Raven read the title of the statue she'd tracked down from the riddle. The plaque read '_Dr. Slump D. Due presents_… **_Dangerous Beauty_**.' Raven blushed furiously and stood with all speed. "Who _are_–?"

_He was gone!_

Raven cursed softly, looking around but knowing she wouldn't find him. Her cheeks were stained pink, much to her pale skin's surprise. There was a long silence a merely listening. She sighed aloud, giving up on finding him. "Yeah… I think I like the statue…… Shade…" she murmured, looking at the ever-spinning light of the Jump City lighthouse. She turned and looked at the statue again, and saw something hanging out of the Siren's mouth. Her brow furrowing, she hovered up to see. She found… a rose. "Mmm…" Raven murmured, trying to ignore her furiously beating heart. She took it into her hands, gently, looking at it. The rose was pink, a merry sort of pink only found when a young girl blushes. Taking deep breaths until her face was pale again, Raven muttered to herself, "Let me _guess_…" sure enough, there was a tiny piece of paper strung around one of the thorns, pierced so it would stay in place. She carefully removed it so it wouldn't tear, and pulled it open to read.

_What's the opposite of a **raven**, and where could you find one?_ _Tomorrow at midnight. Don't be late._

Raven winced. A harder riddle, and one third of the time to solve it in. If she wanted to see him again, that is. Did she… _like him_? She had to admit he was keeping her book-fed interest with puzzles and odd conversation… but, what did he _truly_ want? Was he_… flirting _with her, showing her that statue and making those comments? Raven blushed and a few rocks on the shore picked themselves up and pitched themselves into the ocean. She quickly pulled her hood up, looking around as though she were being watched. Then… she carefully placed the rose in her decorative belt. It was damp with dew, just like the first one. Raven looked around again, then slowly took off into the night sky.

Beast Boy emerged into the common room the next morning. He yawned, but paused in mid-yawn when he saw Raven was the only one there. "Morning Rae…" he said, scratching as he went to the kitchen area to fix breakfast. Raven sat at the table, staring into her herbal tea in silence. Beast Boy went about making his morning bowl of Captain Alphabets, and sat down at the table near her. "Get home okay?" He asked, spooning some into his mouth. "Cyborg said you were out late. Had himself hooked into the security system, waiting for you to come home…"

"Uh huhm…" Raven said, staring at her tea.

"Café nice and depressing?" Beast boy said when he was done chewing. He smiled at her. It was never too early to prod at Raven and get a rise out of her.

"Uh huhm…" she responded again.

"Meet anyone interesting there?"

"Uh huhm…"

"Who?"

"Uh huhm…"

"Ah…?" Beast Boy could tell she wasn't paying attention, but that's what was weirding him out. Raven was always sharp and focused, and she wasn't meditating right then… "Oh, by the way? The aliens escaped from our _pencil sharpener_. Thought you should know." He giggled, then waited with his hands over his mouth.

"Uh huhm…"

"_Bwahahahahahaha_!" Beast Boy fell out of his chair laughing, and Raven gave a start.

"When did _you_ get here?" Raven asked. Beast Boy stared at her.

"You've been staring into space, Rae." He said, calming down at last. "Are you okay?"

Raven suddenly wondered something. She had a riddle that had to do with animals… why not ask Beast Boy? He was the expert in that field, if no other than video games. "Hey Beast Boy?" He paused in his cereal, shoving the mouthful of cereal into his cheek. "What's the opposite of a raven?"

"Uhm…" Beast Boy swallowed, tilting his head. "A… a _Beast Boy_?" he sweatdropped. Raven glared at him. "Oh you mean raven the _animal_! That's _easy_!" Raven leaned forward and Beast Boy was surprised at how interested she was. "That's part of a _marriage_ rhyme!"

"Marriage rhyme? How does it go?"

"What's the opposite of a Raven?" Beast Boy put a finger in the air as he recited. "Cast aside the raven and let loose the _dove_. Spread its wings across the sky, give in to your true _love_!" He smiled at her, and she stared at him. "Not many people know that one anymore…" he busied himself with his cereal, blushing. _He'd recited an old love poem for Raven_! He mentally kicked himself, then asked, "Why do you wanna know?" He looked up at her, but she was no longer at the table. He saw the tip of her cloak rushing into the elevator, and sat there in silence. His eyes strayed to her teacup. He'd never tried Raven's green tea… why not give it a try? Slowly, as though it might bite him, he picked it up and brought it to his lips… "**_BLEAGH_**!" It echoed for miles, and green was sprayed everywhere.

Raven entered the room where the Titan mainframe was, and froze. Robin was sitting in the chair. Pictures and articles about Slade were all over the screen. He wouldn't move from the spot for hours… but she needed to find out more. Beast Boy's knowledge was impeccable, but where in all of Jump City would you find a _dove_? The _zoo_? No… the zoo was too widespread to meet anyone, and Raven couldn't remember any zoo ever having a _dove_ exhibit. Where else would you find a dove…? The goth slowly backed out of the room and went down the halls. She wasn't really _going_ anywhere, just thinking to herself as she walked.

She suddenly heard Starfire give out a girlish squeal. This couldn't be good. At least, not from a gothic point of view. "Yes, it would be a most glorious occasion!" Starfire said. She was in her room, laying on her stomach on her bed. She was writing in what Raven recognized as a I diary. "Robin and I married…" the Tameranian princess blushed heavily. Raven mock-gagged. "At the building called _church_ in our fair city…" Raven stopped and listened briefly at her doorway. She peeked in with one eye. Starfire was writing in Tameranian, so there would be no point in anyone trying to read it. (Not even _Beast Boy_, who was caught in almost everyone's room on separate occasions, looking for a private log.) Starfire giggled again, writing more as she spoke. "I asked friend Robin to tell me about Earth weddings, and his face turned as red as my hair!" She smiled girlishly, putting a hand over her mouth. Raven rolled her eyes. The goth turned to leave as Starfire went on talking as she wrote. "But, he told me it requires a beautiful white dress, and something called a tuxedo… and a ring… and the releasing of white birds into the sky…" Raven jerked to a halt. "_Ah_…" Starfire sighed, stopping and hugging a pillow to her chest. "I wonder if perhaps Robin would marry me someday when we are older and wiser?" Starfire went on in her girlish bantering, but Raven was stuck on what she'd just heard.

"The releasing of white birds… at a wedding…" Raven murmured, her eyes wide. Beast Boy's rhyme and Starfire's diary had solved the riddle. Raven, a half-demon **goth**… was going to a _church_.

_**Duhn duhn duuuun! **I hope you guys are enjoying the show so far! This was part 2 of 11! Thanks for stopping by! _


	3. What Perches on a Bust of Pallas?

This is part three of eleven! I hope you enjoy it, and following along with the story! Raven… in a church? Sounds kinda scary… I don't own Teen Titans. I wonder how the nuns will treat her…? The show must go on!

**Part 3**: **What perches on a bust of Pallas?**

Raven stood there uncomfortably, looking up at the building. The beautiful stained glass windows seemed to warn her away. She, a half-demon, felt forbidden from entering a holy place like that. Well… she couldn't help it if a demon raped her mother and she was the end result, could she? The nuns wouldn't chase her out with torches and pitchforks… so… Raven touched the huge double-doors. (A/N: Just for reference, it's a _Catholic_ church. Raven meeting a _nun_ just sounds funny in itself.) Heaving a sigh, she pushed them open.

Church doors were never locked, she'd heard, because some people went into them and claimed sanctuary. That didn't work anymore, but back a long time ago you were safe from the _law_ in church, and there was nothing anyone could do about it so long as a person stayed _in the building_. But… this church was massive, how was she going to find him?

Oddly enough, Jump City only had one church in it, and all the others were just a few miles outside of it. Strange, but true. That's how Raven knew which one to go to. She found herself in a huge, pillared room. A dais with candles was at the very head, and countless pews were all around her. The demon in her was on edge, and she looked around warily. Pulling her hood back out of respect for the building itself, she felt a little better when her face was no longer hidden. Candles and torches… and only a few electric lights… shone enough for her to see the room clearly. But it was still full of shadows on the edges. So, this is where Starfire wanted to get married…? _Creepy_. At night, at least. "S… Shade?" she whispered.

A nun suddenly appeared, making her jump. "Saints alive…" the sister whispered, looking at the girl's gothic outfit. From her black leotard to her jeweled belt, all the way down to her dark blue cloak. The nun crossed herself as she approached the Teen Titan. "Are you _Raven_?" she said softly, holding her lantern up to see better.

"Yes." Raven said, trying to keep her voice casual. Nuns made her nervous too, as though they were sorceresses that could cast a spell on her at any moment. The demon in her was ready to bolt, back out into the night where she belonged. "I was told to meet someone here at midnight?" it came out like a question, and the sister gestured with her eyes.

There, sitting in one of the many pews, was _Shade_. When had he…He silently gestured her over, looking very relaxed. Raven quietly thanked the nocturnal nun, and walked slowly to join him. She let her eyes travel the room. She saw incredible carvings up and down the columns, and the candles that were on the dais gave the room an almost romanticist look to it. It was an _older_ church, that was for sure. When she reached him, he motioned her to sit. She sat, looking straight ahead, waiting for him to speak. "Are you _nervous_ here, Raven?" She hesitated, then nodded slowly. "I get you. Follow me." He stood, and led her from the room. They were outside, and he vanished into the alleyway. "To the roof…" the alley seemed to sigh his voice out, and Raven floated upward. He was already sitting on the roof when she found him. Leaning against the belfry, he gestured that she sit again. "_Better_?" He asked.

Raven nodded, before finally speaking, "Who are you?"

"I am _Shade_." He said, looking at her sideways. "Try not to start conversations that you know will go in circles." His tone sounded a little stern, but Raven knew he was right. He wouldn't just _tell _her who he was. "Try asking something else."

"Why are you stalking me?" Raven asked.

"Not _stalking_!" he snapped, sitting upright. He quickly regained himself, calming his voice. "I couldn't _stalk_ you if I wanted to. You'd always sense me coming, or the security system in Titan's Tower would give me away. And you know it." He pointed at her. "You keep coming of your own free will. I brought you here with a riddle, and you came." Shade gave her a rather hearty thumbs up. "Good job on solving that one, too. I wasn't sure you'd understand it in just a _day_."

"Well, I had help." Raven sat down next to him. She had no magic blade in her hand this time. He didn't seem the type to hurt her without reason, and he didn't seem to have one at the moment. "A friend of mine remembered the rhyme that went with your riddle's question."

"The boy wonder, Robin?" Shade asked, tilting his head.

"No, actually it was _Beast Boy_." Raven admitted. "_Not_ something I expected from the likes of him." Raven looked over at him, trying to see his eyes through the little slits in his mask. But, it was no good. "Uhm… thank you… for the roses." She blushed, forcing down her powers as she spoke.

"Not a problem. I can do a little around plants now and then. Roses are my specialty." Shade said. There was a long silence, followed by, "You're welcome, Raven." He leaned back against the belfry, and Raven scooted and leaned next to him. A relative calm was in the air around them. Almost as though they were old friends. "…Is that _lavender_?" Shade asked suddenly, catching her off guard.

"_Huh_?" Raven asked, turning her head towards him.

"That smell. Is it lavender perfume?" He asked.

"_Oh_… uhm…" Raven flushed, pulling up her hood. "I'm not the _type_ to wear perfume. It's probably my incense you're smelling." Raven kicked herself for meditating for so long with her incense burning. Now she smelled like she had perfume on! Why hadn't the others said anything? Oh yeah… they were avoiding her because they thought she was on her period. "Why are you dropping me riddles and asking me to meet you places?" Raven finally came out and asked. "Why do this?"

The black-clad anti-hero sighed aloud. That made an odd sound come out of his voice distorter. But, finally he spoke to her. "I _like_ you." he said bluntly. Raven's pupils shrank in shock and she stared at him. She flushed deeply and the bell in the belfry gave a hard swing, all by itself! She reached quickly and stopped it with her powers. She didn't want to give every nun in the church a _heart attack_.

"Ah…" Raven didn't have a sarcastic comeback for something like that. "Uhm… _Thank you_?" she finished lamely. She mentally kicked herself. She found her eyes wandering Shade's body, eyeing his skintight outfit… pink stained her cheeks and quickly looked away. "You seem… _okay_." She murmured. This dark, odd stranger _liked_ her? Forcing and forcing and forcing her powers back into check, she looked at him. Trying futilely to see through his mask and get a good look at his eyes.

"I'm glad you think so." He said. Shade leaned forward a little, looking past her. Raven turned her head to see what he was looking at. She didn't see anything that looked out of the ordinary. She turned back to face hi– _he was gone_!

"Ah… where to _now_?" Raven automatically looked for a rose. And, she found one. Inside the church's bell, hanging from the weight that was there to make the bell ring… attached by a string, was a yellow rose. (A/N: Yes, there is such a thing as a _yellow_ rose. They're just hard to come by in a lot of areas. They're _rare_ to find growing somewhere.) She found herself accepting the circumstances, and didn't bother to scold herself.

She wanted to see him again, whoever he was. He was smart, dark, shrewd and……

"_I like you_."

It echoed in her mind. In Nevermore, where her emotions lived, they were clustered together here and there. Was the elusive emotion, _love_, going to make an appearance after all these years? No one could seem to decide. Even anger seemed to be at a moment of silence, trying to figure things out.

Raven looked at the flower, holding it to her nose. She inhaled gently, the sweet scent clouding into her mind. Raven, for the first time in her life… had a _crush_ on someone. Two roses bloomed on her cheeks. Raven gently levitated the flower she'd been given, watching it float in midair. She sat there on the roof for the longest time, silently thinking to herself. Her emotions warred over what to do next. She badly wanted to know who he was… She spotted the tiny note, and slowly removed it. Holding her breath, she unfolded it and set the rose in her lap. Folding her legs Indian style, she read it.

_What perches on a bust of Pallas, right above my chamber door? Two days, midnight again._

"Hmm…" Raven said, starting her long fly home.

She arrived on the roof of Titan's tower, and it was two-thirty in the morning. Raven quickly teleported to her room. Laying down in bed, she threw off her cloak and looked at her latest gift from Shade. A yellow rose… she scented its sweet smell one more time, laying it on the head of her bed. She was too tired to get it into water just yet. She just needed to rest her eyes for… just a few… moments…… Raven's eyes slid shut, and a contented sleep took her over. Exhausted from being up two night in a row, she knew she would sleep later than usual again…

Shade removed his mask, shrouded in darkness. He smiled to himself. She actually seemed to _like_ him! The riddles, the mysterious meeting places… she kind of _liked_ him now! His latest riddle wouldn't be much of a challenge, but he didn't want to frustrate her… or worse yet, have her get it _wrong_. He heaved a tired sigh, sitting on his bed. Gathering and keeping Raven's interest was a challenge, but she was worth it to him. It was all going his way. For once, everything was going his way……

_The next day…_

_Beeen! Beeen! Beeen! _It was almost noon, and the alarm was going off! Raven awoke with a start, pitching herself out of bed. She clattered rather ungracefully to floor, threw her cloak on and ran towards the common room.

The entire team was already there, Robin typing away at the little computer that always seemed to know what was wrong. "Plasmus is at the waste disposal factory again! _Titans_, _go_!" Robin thrust a finger into the air, and they were off!

They crammed into the car, and Cyborg hit the turbo! They jetted across the water, Beast Boy squealing like a little girl the whole way.

Plasmus had taken his usual spot at the end of the conveyer belt. A barrel of waste would approach the end, and he would grab it. He picked up what was probably his tenth one, draining the neon green goo into his gaping maw. Hissing and burbling, Plasmus grew a few inches. The sludge monster picked up the next, only to have his arm frozen by one of Robins flying disks!

"Haven't we done this _before_?" Robin stood at the head of his team. "Well, if you fail a class in school, you gotta take it _again_!" He leapt forward. "Titans, _go_!" He drew his bow-stick and _slashed_!

Plasmus came apart like putty, splitting into six different pieces. "Aww _man_! This happened last time _too_!" Beast Boy whined.

"Five against six…" Cyborg said, his arm becoming his sonic cannon. "Split up?" He asked. "One of us will have to deal with two of 'em… and keep running until the others can come to help."

"Agreed." Robin nodded. "Titans, _separate_!" The five teenage super heroes took off in different directions. The various pieces of Plasmus watched them go, and split up as well. Each went after one Titan…

…and Raven got stuck with _two_. Grunting in annoyance, she summoned her powers. Machinery was outlined in black as she fled down a narrow corridor. She thrust out her hands, and one of the two Plasmus minis was crushed! The other paused, looking at its comrade. Out of nowhere the first reformed with a sickening squelching sound. "Just when they couldn't get any uglier…" Raven muttered, gesturing again. The machine she'd used to smash the Plasmus mini lifted itself. Then, it came down again. She picked it up again. And dropped it again. She crushed them both, over and over and over. Sweating with fatigue, she finally tossed the machine back where it was. She was out of breath, and goo was all over the place. "……_yuck_." She murmured, turning to go.

Suddenly a tongue lashed around her ankle! She cried out in alarm, hitting her butt on the ground. Her loss of emotional control had made her lose her powers for the moment. The two Plasmus minis she had smooshed repeatedly had joined into one, and this one had a _mouth_. Stubby legs, a huge beak-like mouth, and a long tongue. Just as ugly, in Raven's opinion. But, now wasn't the time to comment. She was being reeled in like a _fish_! She slid along the ground, grunting and pulling at what had snared her leg. She physically grabbed a metal beam, but it was no good. Raven's rather small frame gave out, and she was forced to let go. She struggled to get control again, but she just _couldn't_!

Suddenly, the Plasmus mini's tongue was slashed into pieces, and the main body _exploded_! Raven stared in shock as a slender figure emerged from the smoke. He was carrying a pair of exploding disks, much like Robin's, and a short blade that Raven was sure looked like a pocketknife. "Shade…" she whispered as he stuffed his equipment back in his belt. He offered her his hand, and she took it. She stood with his help, looking into the slits of his mask. "You saved my life." She whispered, unable to take her eyes off of him.

"He wasn't your type." Shade said, letting go of her hand. Raven wished he hadn't. Deep down… she'd wanted to keep holding his hand. "Your friends are waiting for you." He gestured for her, then vanished behind the machinery.

Raven turned quickly to where he'd retreated, "_Thank_ –!" he was already gone though… "you…" she murmured softly. She sighed, frustrated that he didn't want be seen by her friends. She decided to respect his wishes, and keep him a secret.

"Raven got chased by _two_ of 'um!" It was Cyborg's voice that Raven heard no more than thirty seconds later.

"Track her, Beast Boy! Use your nose!" Robin's voice.

"No need, dude! She's _this_ way! Look at the wrecked machines!" Beast Boy was leading the charge, pointing forward with one finger.

"I hope friend Raven is _okay_!" Starfire was flying Raven's way fast.

Raven saw that the little monsters were defeated, and quickly knelt to the sludge. Smearing some on her cloak and a little on her face, she stood just as her friends came into view. "It takes more than a giant booger to take me out." She said, looking at them flatly as she always did. She looked as though she'd been battling the Plasmus minis like the others, and thusly got a little sludge on her…

"**_Dude_**! Raven took _two of 'em_ out! I had big problems with just _one_!" The green teen looked shocked. His shock soon turned into a grin, though. "Awesome! _Pizza to celebrate_!" He pointed, and they saw the sleeping man that was the human form of Plasmus. The police would be by, along with the special containment team assigned to keep the monster asleep.

"Sounds good." Robin agreed. "As soon as we get this gunk off of us…" Even Raven had to agree with that.

Later that day, all of the Titans appeared at the pizza parlor. They argued about what kind of pizza to get. Beast Boy wanted veggie-lovers. Cyborg wanted the meaty special. Robin wanted pepperoni. Starfire wanted marshmallow-mustard-chocolate-chip… but that was quickly ruled out. Raven sat there, watching them for the longest time. Soon, she grew frustrated and snatched the menu from Cyborg. They fell silent as she read the menu, then called the waitress over. "Bring us the biggest triple-cheese, stuffed-crust, deep dish pizza you've got." She said firmly. She looked at each of her friends in turn. None of them dared to argue with her. Raven allowed herself a small smile, which only Starfire noticed.

As they struggled the slice the thick pizza once it arrived, Starfire spoke up. "Raven? You are feeling… uhm… _better than normal_, yes?"

"What makes you say that?" Raven defended, putting up her best sour look.

"Well… you were victorious over _two_ of the Plasmus pieces. Then, you are taking leadership over what form of the pizza we should ingest. And just moments ago, you _smiled_." Starfire looked happy for her, but a little upset at the same time. The other Titans turned and stared.

"Raven… smiled?" Beast Boy said. "_Nuh uh_! No _way_!" Raven didn't even have to say anything, he'd jumped to her defense so fast.

"It was probably your imagination." Cyborg said wisely as he could. "Hunger'll do that to ya." He said, gesturing to his grumbling stomach. "Raven just got tired of watching us argue. I haven't had a good deep cheese pizza in a while… sounds good!"

_Well! Raven certainly took care of **that** argument! Remember, this is part three of eleven! We've got a great story going on, and it's only getting better as it goes! Please stay tuned, and review if you would like! Thankies!_


	4. What is a Romantic Interest?

_I'm back for part four of eleven! I hope people are still interested in my story! I love getting reviews from everyone, just so you know! **Thankies**! By the way, just in case you didn't know, I don't own Teen Titans. Uhm… on with the show! ;_

**Part 4: What is a Romantic Interest?**

Raven had already figured out where she was supposed to meet Shade. This riddle hadn't been that hard, and it was even a little flattering. _Perching on the bust of Pallas above my chamber door…_ That was part of a rather famous poem. A poem called…. '**_The Raven_**,' by Edgar Allen Poe. Part of the poem told of a _raven_ perching on a bust of Pallas.

Pallas, Raven knew, was referring to the Greek goddess of wisdom, Pallas Athena. A 'bust' was a special sort of statue with no arms or legs. It was basically a torso and a head. And, the only place to find a Pallas bust in Jump City was… _the museum_.

Raven arrived, standing in front of the Jump City museum. Was she supposed to _go in_? Land on the roof? _What_? She or he one could trip the security alarm… She looked at the huge sculpture of the planet earth in front of the museum. Rows of columns greeted her, and she slowly walked towards the museum, walking between them. "Thank you for coming." She stopped and turned, seeing Shade leaning against a column. "I like your company."

"I never got to thank you for… for _saving_ me yesterday." Raven whispered, blushing a bright pink. She approached him, reaching and touching his shoulder. He didn't move, but looked at her. "Th… thank you." she summoned her courage and gave him a quick hug. She felt his arms gently embrace her, and she sighed softly. After a few moments, she lifted her hood so her face was in view. "So, why _here_?" she asked, standing next to him as he let go. They went to the fountain where the sculpture of Earth was situated. "Every place you've led me had a reason behind it. You put a lot of thought into each riddle, and the meaning of each place that they led to."

"Go on." He said, enjoying the fact that she was figuring it out.

"Well…" Raven paused, clasping her hands as she began. "The Siren was to tell me you knew I was dangerous… but still thought I was…… _beautiful_." She forced the last word out. He nodded twice, not speaking. "The church was to tell me no one is perfect. Since I'm a half-demon, I was nervous to be in there."

"You're right so far. What about _this_ place?" Shade gestured with his arm. Raven, who had yet to figure it out, didn't know. "This is similar to the church, but there's something I wanna show you." He stood her up and put an arm around her. Raven blushed, but he stood behind her and pointed. "See all the columns we just walked past? See how they're spaced from each other?"

"In two perfect rows, equally spaced from each other the whole way?" Raven tilted her head. It looked like an Art 101 version of a 'perspective' drawing. Things got smaller to the eye, the farther away they were…

"No, actually." He said, putting up a finger like a teacher. "These columns _are_ in rows, but **not** perfectly spaced." He gestured that she look between the first two columns of one row. "Human eyes are imperfect. We don't have perfect vision, so the Greeks made this illusion up. They spaced columns so it _looked_ like they were evenly spaced. But, in reality, they were _not_. Because our eyes aren't perfect, it looks as though these rows are parallel from each other." he paused as Raven looked at the columns in wonder. "It's an illusion that's thousands of years old, still useable _today_." He let go of her and she looked at him before he decided to vanish again. "Sometimes, the best magic is a good _trick_."

"Whoa…" she whispered. "I… never knew that." Raven knew _some_ Greek things since they were a respectable civilization of the old world, but this… this was _new_ to her. "_Shade_?" she murmured, growing a little moist in the eyes. He stood before her, his head tilted down so they saw eye to eye. Well, she couldn't see his eyes through those slits… but she knew they were there. "What's behind the mask?" Raven whispered softly, looking vulnerable.

"I told you before–"

"I said '_what's_ behind the mask?'" she said quickly, reaching up and touching the sides of his head with her hands. She could feel his ears under the thick fabric, but nothing more. "Are you…… _real_?" she whispered. Raven felt her heart drumming against her ribcage. Her emotions were running rampart, but nothing was happening as far as her powers went… _so far_. Shade looked at her for a long time as she tried to see into his eyes. "Are you _human_… are you……?" she fell silent as he made to speak.

"Close your eyes." He whispered. She let go of him, staring at his mask. Finally, she did as she was told. "Keep them closed, no matter what, until I say. …_Promise_?" She nodded after a moment. She heard a little snap. Then, another. Then, one last snap. Raven heard something cup-shaped hit the ground close by. _He'd removed his mask_! She could find out who he was, once and for all! But… she'd _promised_.

With his voice distorter removed as well, he did not speak. He looked at her with his own eyes. Slowly… reaching with trembling hands… he slowly touched both of her shoulders. Stroking her upper arms… he was reaching inside her cloak, stroking her back with slow… easy movements. Raven flushed deeply at the embrace, her eyebrows tilting upward into an expression they'd never formed outside of _pain_. Then… he drew her close. Raven knew what was going to happen right before it did. Her arms folded upward, and she felt the muscles on his chest.

_He gently kissed her._

The soft lips pressed to her own were like an electric storm, and it blasted through her body like nothing she'd ever felt. She felt strong and light-headed at the same time. A soft, barely audible moan escaped Raven, and she leaned into him. He accepted her weight, and… after what felt like an eternity… broke the kiss. Raven ached to open her eyes, but she just couldn't do it. He let go of her, and she heard him walking towards where his mask had fallen. Snap. Snap-snap.

"…Okay." He said at last. Even though the voice distorter he sounded as light-headed as she felt. She opened her eyes and looked at him. "Interesting talents, you've got." He said, pointing. Raven gasped, looking around them both.

The columns that had been in two perfect rows when she'd shut her eyes… where now arranged in a heart-shape around them both. In Nevermore, Raven's emotions burst into cheers as a girl dressed in a softer red emerged into the world. She was blushing when she saw everyone that was waiting for her, but offered a shy smile.

Raven quickly put the columns back where they were, still shaking slightly. That kiss, as short or as long as it had been, had taken a lot out of her for some reason. She was trembling as she finished putting the columns back , and she knew she wouldn't be able to fly home. Not without shooting to the moon first, that is. She suddenly felt a little more than light-headed. She fainted. Strong arms caught her, easing her to the ground.

Raven awoke in her bedroom. She turned over, and saw a flower resting on her other pillow. Sitting up and rubbing her eye with the heel of her hand, she picked it up. Once more, it was a rose. She blushed happily, wondering how one Earth he'd gotten her inside the tower without being caught. She scented the blue rose, wondering if there really was such a thing as blue rose, or if he'd put a white rose in water with food coloring in it. It smelled real enough, with the latest riddle attached to it.

She decided to read it later, and looked down at herself. She was shocked to see that she was wearing _white_. Raven looked at the backs and fronts of her hands. Was she really…… _at_ _peace_? She let her smile continue to broaden. She changed clothes, and as soon as she put them on they turned white as well. Raven put her hood down, still smiling, and made her way to the common room.

Taking a deep breath, she emerged to see all of her friends were already up. Immediate silence fell over the tower, and the TV seemed to mute all by itself as Raven hovered over to the kitchen area. She pulled a bright red apple out for breakfast instead of tea. Her friends silently gathered around as she chewed the first bite. "Uh… hey Raven." Robin said. "Haven't… seen you in the early mornings lately…"

"Yeah, 'cuz she's been sleeping like a rock the past _week_ or so!" Beast Boy said. "Even _I've_ gotten up before her!" He looked exasperated, trying to find an explanation in Raven's eyes.

Cyborg palmed the top Beast Boy's head, shoving him down behind the counter. "Uhm… I like your new look." Everyone present knew something was going on. Raven only wore white when something was making her really, _really_ _happy_. Something had helped her come to terms with her own powers…. But _what_?

"Friend… is there… something you wish to tell us?" Starfire hinted, leaning a little too close for comfort into Raven's face. "You wear your sacred white garb, surely there is an occasion?" Beast Boy peeked over the counter at Raven as she spoke.

"I had the best sleep I've had in a long time last night." Raven said, biting her apple again as she distanced herself just a little. "It was… _nice_." She smiled at them.

"Duck and cover! She's _smiling_!" Beast Boy squealed, diving behind the counter again. All the Titans tensed up. But… nothing exploded or melted or cracked thanks to Raven's powers. Robin looked around, not sure he believed what she'd said. "Dude… nothing blew up! _What gives_?" Beast Boy wanted to know.

Raven gave a little sigh, walking out with her apple. She went to the roof to meditate, leaving her friends to gossip. "Something's going down with her…" Cyborg said.

"Something has caused friend Raven happiness, and she is hiding it from us? Why would she _do_ such a thing?" Starfire interlocked her fingers, looking worried. "Surely she would share her happiness with us… but she has not." Her face wilted, and she looked sad.

Robin held his chin, deep in thought. Beast Boy tilted his head, leaning on the counter. Cyborg's red eye became a question mark, and there was a long silence. "Starfire," Robin said at last. "Why don't _you_ go talk to her? Y'know… _girl talk_." He pointed towards the roof, where Raven had retreated to. "If you find out anything let us know, okay?"

Starfire nodded, and began making her way to the roof. The three male Titans were left there, but soon they went about their own activities as well. Robin, Beast Boy and Cyborg alike eagerly awaited Starfire's return, to see what was making Raven so happy.

Raven had lied to the Titans. When she was able to wear white, she didn't have to meditate. All of her emotions were free, and there was no need. She stood atop Titans Tower, looking out across the city. Somewhere out there was Shade. Probably undisguised, living like a normal person. Her crush on him had only deepened, and she heaved a sigh.

"It is a _boy_, is it not?" Starfire's voice floated over her, and she turned in shock.

"What?"

"You were out late several times of the week." Starfire approached and stood next to her. "You are happy, and wearing your white garb… and yet you will not tell us what it is?" The red head looked hurt, looking at her friend with vulnerable eyes. "And so… my first guess was perhaps it is a _boy_."

"Uhm…" Raven said, careful not to look at her. Starfire was looking at her expectantly. "My life outside of this tower is my own business." She said a little coldly. Her white outfit suddenly faded to gray, and both girls gasped. Raven looked up and down her outfit. "See what you've done!" Raven snapped at her, and she recoiled. Starfire looked at her, looking hurt. "Sorry, Starfire." Raven's flat tone had returned for the first time that day, and Starfire's face saddened even more.

"I find it hard that you will not share your experiences with even _me_." Starfire whispered, a little moist in the eyes. "I thought that perhaps… we would have the '_girl talk_'." Her lower lip trembled, and Raven felt a little guilty.

"Starfire…" Raven whispered. "You're my friend, but I gotta have my own privacy. If I had a romantic interest, I couldn't let any of you meet him. Bad things could happen." She turned towards the city. "I… I…" she couldn't find a sentence to go with it. "You wanna go to the mall together?" she said. Starfire brightened considerably.

"Yes! But… before we go, Raven, please…" Starfire had a question. "What is 'romantic interest?' A form of romance that you find interesting?" Raven sweat-dropped. "I enjoy the heart-shaped boxes of small candies, that is my romantic interest!" She declared happily, blushing. "Perhaps we will talk of yours another time?" She tilted her head, but Raven didn't respond immiediatly.

"I'll meet you at the front door in an hour." Raven said, vanishing down the stairs. Her outfit had returned to its normal black and dark blue. Starfire clasped her hands at her breast, giving her a timeless worried look.

_Well… she was in white for a **little while**! That's gotta count for **something**, right? If you have any questions or comments, please let me know so I can explain things along the way! See you in part five! R and R if you would, please! Thank you!_


	5. The person who made it didn't want it?

I had some mention about the apple that Raven ate last time for breakfast? Yes, I did take that from the Malchior episode. But, Raven having anything for breakfast other than tae is unusual… so fruit seemed to fit the best anyway. I just can't picture Raven having some of Beast Boy's Captain Alphabets in the morning. Anyway…I would like to thank my girlfriend (not gonna say her name, this is the internet, after all) for providing me with the riddle for this part. This is part five of eleven, so we're halfway done! I hope everyone is enjoying my story, and leaving reviews so I know what you think. Thank you for your time and usage of your eyes to read… The story goes onward! I don't own Teen Titans!

**Part 5**: **The Person Who Made It Didn't Want It?**

Later that night…

All the Titans aside from Raven sat at the dinner table, Robin at the head. The small light above the table left them mostly in shadow, but everyone leaned on at least one elbow. "So her outfit just went back to normal?" Robin asked, interlocking his fingers and setting his chin on them. Starfire had just finished giving her report on Raven's activities, and they were discussing all they knew about the situation so far.

Starfire nodded. "I do not know what caused Raven's sudden lapse in the '_gothness', _I am afraid." She said. The three boys slumped, still puzzled. Raven and Starfire had returned from the mall, a few odds and ends from the shops in their bags. Nothing that any of them considered out of the ordinary, even by Starfire's standards. "Perhaps she was telling the truth, and merely slept better than she usually does? She may have been overdue to do the '_sleeping in_.'" The boys agreed with the notion, but Robin still wasn't sure.

"Raven's acting weird, and going out late…" Beast Boy said. "Dude, do you think one of us should _follow_ her and see what's up?"

"We'd need a volunteer…" Robin's head turned towards Beast Boy. They all turned and looked at the green teen. There was a long silence, and he sweat-dropped. "It was _your_ idea…" Robin said.

"_What_?" he said, looking at them in return. "You want _me_ to tail her all night!" They nodded, and he sighed. "Well, I better go small then, so she won't see me…" he thought for a moment, then became a hummingbird. After a few moments, he turned back into a humanoid. "I'm _on_ the job!" He saluted rather comically, and Robin pointed at him seriously.

"The next time Raven goes out, stay on her. Watch, but don't interfere, okay?" Robin said. "If we find out what's going on, maybe we can figure this out." Everyone nodded, and the meeting was disbanded.

Raven was in her room, lying on her bed. She'd opened the riddle, and found it a puzzling one as well. She looked at the flower, which she'd discovered was a Nile Blue from one of her books. It was a true rose, not just a white one that had been given colored water. She was wondering just where this was going… and where the riddle would lead her next. She wanted to know who Shade was… and the other Titans were becoming suspicious of something. The white outfit for a day was a dead giveaway. She mentally kicked herself for allowing such a thing to happen, but… she had enjoyed it while it was there. The riddle was a little longer than the others, but just as puzzling.

The person who made it didn't need it. The person who bought it didn't want it. The person who ended up with it didn't even know it. Midnight, one week.

The week was already down to three days, and she didn't even know where to begin with this one. It had no oddly spelled or capitalized words. She knew it pointed to an object of some kind… but _what_? It had a _maker_, a _buyer_, and a _recipient_ of some kind.

A virus, maybe? Bio-engineered viruses were made, and they people that made them didn't need them. The bad people that bought them didn't want them for themselves… and the people that ended up with them in their bodies didn't… _wait_… that part didn't fit. They would know because they'd be sick. Raven sighed, frustrated and running out of time.

The maker didn't need it, she thought. What sort of product or object could you make that you wouldn't need? A bald man wouldn't need styling shampoo, but that didn't make any sense. She doubted Shade was bald anyway. He wouldn't make a riddle that was outside of his style. There wasn't a shampoo factory or anything like that in Jump City. This was pointing to something dark and morbid, she knew it. The first riddle was a creepy statue of a mythical woman. The second was the scary old church, lit by candles in the dark of night. And, the last was the thousand-year old Greek column arrangement illusion. All three of them were things that were, in one way or another, interesting to _her_. That narrowed a few things out, but it didn't help with the riddle itself.

The person who bought it didn't want it… why would you buy something you didn't want? Maybe if you bought it specifically for someone else? Raven puzzled over that for a long time, but could come up with nothing.

The person who ended up with it didn't know it, Raven was puzzled by that the most. She had thought the riddles from Shade might be a little easier after the last one, making it easier for them to meet. She blushed, forcing down the thought and concentrating on the problem. She shut her eyes for a moment, thinking as hard as she could.

Nevermore was in complete confusion, and even the emotion called 'wisdom' was shocked not to know the answer. The emotions clustered in small groups, trying to figure out Shade's riddle. But, each answer was more impossible than the last.

"_**Need help**?" Raven sat bolt up on her bed. Someone was in her room. It was too dark to see anything but shapes. She stood, and saw a familiar shape in the darkness. _

"_Shade…" she whispered. He wasted no time in removing his mask and going to her. It was too dark to see his face. He eased her back down onto the bed. Raven moaned when his lips found hers, and she curled against him when he joined her on the bed. His hands wandered heatedly and Raven's leotard was being unzipped… "Shade… ahn…" she couldn't find words as her cloak was tossed away… the carnal heat was upon them, and she groaned as his kisses began to wander…… "Oh… Shade…"_

Raven sat up in bed, flushed and sweating. No one was _really_ in her room. "A dream…?" she murmured. Raven held her cheeks with her hands, feeling them burn. She couldn't believe the dream she'd just had, and she watched half of her books fall off the shelves because of her powers. Red guiltily stained her cheeks and nose as she began taking deep breaths, trying to calm down. She very suddenly noticed that she was moist in a particularly private part of her body, and the rest of her books jumped right off the shelves. Wincing with embarrassment at her overly active hormones, she cleaned up and changed clothes quickly. She looked at the clock when she was done… It was late evening, and almost time for supper. It was Cyborg's turn to provide dinner, and that meant Chinese take out in most cases. She'd been asleep for almost three hours, nothing more. "I kissed the guy once and now _this_…?" She murmured, looking at herself in a normal mirror. (She didn't even want to _know_ what her emotions would say if she paid them a visit right then…) She looked embarrassed, and still a little sweaty.

A fly on the wall watched her silently, not moving as to keep her eyes away. If Raven saw a green fly on the wall, who knew what she would do… it was interesting though, to watch her change. The perverted changeling would never breathe a word to anyone about it, not even to brag, but… it was a little odd how she was tossing and turning so much in bed… Must've been a bad dream…

Raven went and freshened up in the bathroom, then headed to the common room. Sure enough, everyone was having take-out Chinese. Cyborg was arguing with the lady on the phone about what he wanted while everyone else was looking at the menu over Beast Boy's shoulder… as though he'd been there the whole time. Raven told Cyborg what she wanted, then sat down. "I can't even _read_ this thing, man…" Beast Boy muttered He turned the menu this way and that, trying to pronounce the name of something in the vegetarian section.

"Hey, Raven." Robin greeted her, sitting down when he'd ordered what he wanted. "You feeling okay?"

"Super." Raven said, eyeing him sideways. Had he listened at her door while she was dreaming about…! A blush was welling up inside her, but she quickly forced it down. "_Why_?"

"Cyborg said that there's a '_Tales from the Crypt_' marathon coming on tonight. You wanna stay up and watch with us?" The Boy Wonder asked her.

Beast Boy sat down next to Robin. "Isn't that the one with the creepy _zombie-thing_ that hosts the show! _Gross_!" He shuddered visibly. "People wouldn't watch a _gameshow_ if the host popped out of a _coffin_ at the beginning every time to tell you what was gonna _happen_!"

"I think I'll pass. I have to meditate tonight." Raven said, which was true. After dinner, she went to do just that. Her room was dark and quiet. Once she was finished putting her spellbooks back on the shelves she lit a few candles, letting the light massage her eyes. Lighting a stick of incense, she smiled when she saw it was _Lavender_ scented. Her Happy/Sad statue hopped, teetering dangerously on its pedestal. She thrust out a hand and righted it. Calming herself and sitting among the candles, she closed her eyes. Folding her legs into the lotus position, she wondered how on earth the boys could watch that dumb thirty year-old show. Sure, it was scary thirty years ago, but nowadays… she grumbled to herself about boys, massaging her temples slowly. Boys and their stupid, faking-looking horror shows… ghoulies popping out of –! Raven stood sharply, her eyes bulging. **_THAT WAS IT_**!

She swept her hand across the air and all the candles went out. She clicked her lamp on once, twice, three times and picked up the latest riddle. _The person who made it didn't need it. The person who bought it didn't want it. The person who ended up with it didn't even know it. _It all made sense now! "A _coffin_…" she murmured the answer to the riddle. The person who made a coffin didn't need it, he was _alive_. The person who bought a coffin didn't _want_ it, because he'd be burying a loved one. And, the person who got it didn't know it because he'd be _dead_. It all added up! Raven's heart was pounding, and she allowed herself a small smile. "Gotcha." She whispered, clutching the little note. "The best place to find a coffin is a _Cemetery_… three days from now… hmm…"

A little green spider was crawling on Raven's ceiling, looking at her quizzingly. So, she was going to the cemetery… There was only one close to Jump City. It was right on the outskirts… He'd have to follow her. Beast Boy crawled into the vent and out of her room. He didn't hear what she said next.

"I think it's time I started finding more out about Shade…" she murmured, sitting down to think. She pulled paper and pen out of her desk, and began writing. "This time… its my turn to quiz _you_." she pulled back her hood so she could see better. "I won't be leaving roses, though." Raven looked down at her brooch, the thing that held her cloak together. The little glass thing that doubled as a message-relay port. Yeah… she could use _that_. The idea formed in her head. If she disappeared before he did, leaving a message and her brooch…

Shade sat down, thinking about Raven. Papers scattered all over his desk and floor were only part of the clutter in his room. The darkness kept him alert, giving little sounds now and then. He'd risked it all, taking off his mask like that. What if she'd opened her eyes? What would've _happened_? If she'd recognized him… he tried not to think about it. Looking at the newspaper clipping on the wall, he murmured to himself. Looking at the clock, he knew it would only be a matter of time before they were together again. He smiled behind his mask, taking off his skintight suite. Folding it carefully and putting it away, hidden in a drawer, he took the mask off. Rubbing his forehead and eyes, he sat again. "Raven…" he whispered. He was running out of rose colors. Red, pink, yellow, and blue had been used so far. That left white and purple. White would have to be last. Soon the end would be near, and the ultimate choice would be laid at Raven's feet.

What choice is Shade thinking about? Will Raven have another dream like that anytime soon? And most of all, what will Beast Boy find out about Raven and Shade? If he's following them around… will Raven's secret love be revealed to the others! Please stay tuned, and join me again in part six!


	6. Question the Questioner?

There you are! I'm glad you decided to join us again! I want to thank everyone for all the reviews, thank you, thank you… and you in the back with the funny hat on? Thank you too, but get rid of the weird hat! This is getting really interesting, and I hope everyone sticks around to see this thing through! I worked real hard on this, I promise! Please enjoy! I don't own Teen Titans! By the way, I'll be using the word '**brooch'** in this fic. If you don't know the word, it's a decorative clip or pin that holds an outfit together, usually worn by females. Raven's brooch holds her cloak together. Just a note! ;

**--------------------------------------------------------------------------**

**Part 6**: **Question the questioner?**

Raven began sneaking out of Titans tower by phasing through walls at will. She passed Robin's room, where he could be heard gently snoring. Starfire hung upside down from her bed, her blindingly red hair hanging off of it like a waterfall. Cyborg was silently laying on his charge-table, re-powering his body. Beast Boy… _wasn't in his room_.

Her guard up, Raven slunk down the hall normally. Keeping an eye out for bugs, lizards or any other small animal that could be him, she made her way silently to the common room. The TV was on… and Beast Boy was asleep on the couch. The newspaper was draped over him, **'_Gotham Orchestra Comes to Jump City_**' was on the front page. Robin had probably put it there as a make-shift blanket. The green teen was curled into it, snoring loudly. He muttered softly, something about everyone getting a chance to have their picture with him. Raven rolled her eyes. The '_Tales From the Crypt_' marathon was still on the TV. He had been determined to watch the whole thing, but he'd fallen asleep at the wheel. Raven shook her head, rolling her eyes. She made her way towards the door. "Where do you think _you're_ going?" Beast Boy demanded, sitting bolt up. Raven froze, shocked. He'd _caught_ her! "You didn't get an _autograph_ yet!" He reached and grabbed an imaginary pen and pad of paper, grinning at someone who wasn't really there. He scribbled on thin air, then fell back onto the couch.

Raven stared at him, her heart pounding. He was dreaming awfully loudly… sighing with relief, Raven slipped out into the night.

A few seconds later, Beast Boy's eyes opened. Sitting up, he became a little green hummingbird. Flying out the cracked window, he took off after the teenage girl. This was going to be _interesting_, he just _knew_ it.

----------------------------------------------------------

The old iron gates of the cemetery greeted Raven. She looked at how cloudy it had become, muttering as clouds began inching towards the half-moon. A full moon would've been more dramatic, she thought. But, she was sure this was the place. It wasn't a huge cemetery, so he wouldn't be hard to find. The brilliantly curving and winding design of the gates barred her way, and Raven found them to be padlocked shut. A chain was wrapped around it, and she shook her head.

Anyone who really wanted to get in _could_. She raised her hands. "Azarinth… Metrion… _Zinthos_." She gestured and the padlock unlocked itself. The chains snaked away, then lay limp on the ground. The gate, shrouded in her black aura, opened with a muffled groan. "So much for _that_…" Raven walked inside, and carefully made the gate shut again. The chains reworked themselves, and the padlock clicked shut. Now the brick wall and the iron gate barred the world from where she was. Well… she and _Shade_, wherever he was.

She walked slowly down the cobblestone path. It wasn't a _bad-looking_ graveyard. Quite the opposite. It was well-cared for, mowed and trimmed and everything else. All the graves were easily readable and the marble ones gleamed in the moonlight. Raven was… a little _disappointed_. But, she was there for a reason, so…

A shadow flicked past some gravestones behind her. Raven turned quickly, but saw nothing. Had she been _followed_? Or was he already there? Raven checked her T-communicator's clock. It was 11:58, according to the digital read-out. She'd teleported as soon as she'd gotten out of range or sight of Titan's Tower… even the homing device in the T-communicators didn't reach as far as where she was… so no one could've followed her. It was probably just a rat or… _something_.

"I hope that last riddle wasn't too hard for you?" Raven turned quickly. Sitting on a headstone Indian-style was _Shade_. "Didn't mean to startle you." he murmured, watching several other gravestones set themselves gently back on the ground. "I figured you might like to see this place at night. It's not exactly fresh out of a horror movie, but…" He gestured with his head, and Raven looked. Across from the rows of graves and markers was a statue of an angel. She had her wings and arms spread widely, as though embracing the spirits of the cemetery all at once. "Some things, even _here_, bring comfort."

Raven nodded and he stood. They sat on the steps of a nearby crypt. "So, what do you want to tell me this time?" she asked.

"Well.. I was hoping _you_ would talk this time." Shade said. "I seem to be doing most of the talking when we see each other. What's on _your_ mind?" He gestured with a hand that she speak.

"Well…" she blushed, remembering her dream. Hiding her face under the shadow of her hood, she felt better. "I've thought about you…" she said. "My friends are starting to get suspicious of something…"

"What did you tell them?" Shade asked.

"I told them I was on my period, and felt moody." Raven said bluntly. He laughed, if somewhat darkly. "They bought it, and left me alone." She looked at him, a little stain of pink on both of her cheeks.

"I can't imagine you being _moody_." He said, mock-offended. Raven gave a soft chuckle. "Well, they probably didn't put much thought into it after that, I bet." He said.

"Beast Boy was practically standing guard in the common room, but he fell asleep in front of the TV." Raven said, looking at Shade sideways. He chuckled for a moment, but he was looking at her. "I think he was supposed to follow me or something… I can see the others want to know why I'm going out alone at night…" she paused for a moment, but got no comment. "They'll find you soon, y'know. They'll find us, _together_…"

"They'll find us in the end, yeah, but not until then." He put an arm around her, pulling her into a one-armed hug. Then, he pointed towards the sky. "On the outskirts, it's a lot easier to see the stars. You're a Scorpio on the zodiac, right?" Raven nodded, looking up at the stars. Thinking nothing of it, she leaned romantically against him. She snaked an arm around his middle, making sure he wouldn't disappear on her too soon… "Yes…" He continued, looking at the sky. "Scorpio's are dark, stubborn and antisocial, but… they're the most reliable people there are. To have one as a friend is a _gift_." He pointed into the sky, adjusting himself to where Raven could look down his arm and see. "There's Scorpio right there. See it?" he made a little circle with his finger, showing Raven a particular grouping of stars in the sky.

"I see…… _it_…" Raven was leaned really close, looking down his arm. But, then she turned and looked at _him_. Her heart started going faster, beating against her ribs like crazy. "Uhm……" she whispered. Shade let his arm fall, and held her hands in his as he stood. Raven stood with him and walked for a few moments in silence. It was as though they'd known each other for ages… and just happened to be walking through a graveyard. Shade stopped, so she did too. She realized they were standing in front of the angel statue. It seemed to be offering them both a hand. Shade silently reached and cupped Raven's cheek. She shut her eyes, leaning her head against it. Snap. _Snapsnap_. "_ahh_………" she whispered in surprise.

Raven heard his mask fall to the ground again, and kept her eyes shut. She wrapped her arms around his body, and felt him do the same to her. She didn't want her arms to be between them like last time. She wanted to feel his heart beating against her breast. The strong muscles she felt on his back made her a little weak in the knees. Her chest was pressed to his, and she felt his heart racing madly. Raven tilted her head back as two of his fingers willed it to. Her eyebrows tilted upward, and she leaned forward. His hands stroked her back… up… and down… up… and down… The gemstone on her forehead glittering in the moonlight. Raven groaned in pleasure when his lips brushed hers. Summoning her courage, she pressed harder and pulled him against her. The kiss grew more aggressive with time, and they traded soft moans now and then.

When finally the kiss broke, they actually nuzzled each other. Raven felt his nose nudging her neck, following by a gentle kiss along her collarbone. She felt herself melting into him, and he held her as she trembled with pleasure. A soft groan escaped her when he finally let go. "Okay…" he whispered, his mask back on. She opened her eyes, and embraced him one more time.

Raven was blushing, unable to believe she'd done it _again_. But, finally she had to ask again. "Why won't you tell me who you are? I don't even know your _eyes_, wearing that dark mask…" Raven whispered.

"We all wear masks." He whispered back to her. "In one form or another." She sighed softly, a little upset. "I need this mask… for now." He took her chin with his thumb and forefinger. "If… if this works out, you'll see me with it off." He promised. Raven looked at him hopefully, but she knew tonight wouldn't be the night.

"I… I have something for you." Raven said, letting go of him at last. She gave him a folded up piece of paper, and her glass brooch. He took them gently, as though _both_ were made of glass. Raven took off her cloak since it was loose, throwing it over her shoulder. "…You can probably _guess_ what to do." Raven used her powers to make the angel statue jump on its foundation.

Shade turned to look with shock. The statue settled just as quickly. When he looked back, Raven had vanished. "…Very funny." He murmured, looking at what he'd been given.

Raven flew home with all speed, a little smile on her face. She had him now. As any Titan knew, Raven's brooch doubled as a signal-relay if she wasn't answering her T-communicator. Shade was holding onto a _homing_ _device_. All she had to do was get home, get on the Titan's mainframe, and see where he went. It was perfect.

Shade opened the piece of paper she'd given him. It was a newspaper clipping from that very day. "Fireworks show this weekend… locals thrilled." He read the article's title aloud. Near the bottom of the paper, scribbled down, was '_Old oak tree_. 10:30' The article and the writing pointed him to… _the park_. "Hmm… that's four days away." he said, stroking his chin. He streaked off into the night, smiling under his mask. "So Raven, you wanna question the _questioner_?" He clutched the brooch to his heart, but then decided something when he started reaching paved city roads and streetlights. He turned it over and decided to clip it onto his chest. He turned it to where the glass jewel was facing away. Sure enough, there were screws that went into it. Squinting, he grew suspicious. Most brooches made of glass only needed three screws at most. But, Raven's had _five_.

Stopping on a rooftop, he took out his pocketknife and unscrewed them one at a time. He opened the hidden back panel. He smiled under his mask again, looking at all the tiny lights and computer chips inside. He shook his head, glad he'd caught that in time. "You _almost_ had me." He whispered, relieved.

Raven raced home, teleporting to the Titans mainframe room. She called up the emergency location program. It brought up a map of Jump City and the outskirts. She found the cemetery on the map, nodding to herself. She typed in the ten-digit code that told the computer to locate all five of the Titan's homing devices. She started with Robin. He was asleep in his room, mark with a bright red 'R'. Starfire was asleep in her room as well, a royal purple 'S' on the screen. Cyborg was in the garage… he must've finished charging and gotten up to work on his baby, the T-car. He showed up on the screen as a pale blue 'C.' Beast Boy was still in the common room of the tower, a bright green 'BB.' All of their homing devices were nominal and working properly. Raven zoomed out, looking for the fifth signal: The brooch she'd given Shade. If she could see where he lived or where he stopped every night, she could figure out who he was… Raven's brow furrowed. _There was no fifth signal_. She zoomed out again. Maybe he was still in the outskirts…? No… not there either. Suddenly the signal flared, a white spot marked with an 'R.' It was… no… _it couldn't be_! She zoomed in several times, right on Titan's Tower. He was in the common room! No, in the…… the _cabinet_?

Raven raced down, into the common room. She threw open her tea cabinet and peered inside. Yanking down her tea kettle, she pulled the top off and… _her brooch lay there_ _in the tea kettle_, glittering innocently. Raven cursed softly. How had he beaten her to the tower! How did he keep getting past security! Raven's face was an angry red, and she fumed silently as she dumped the brooch out into her palm. A yellow sticky note was pasted on the back, which read:

**Nice try, Raven. : )**

How had he….! When had he…! Raven clutched at her hair, forcing her powers down as the very couch Beast Boy was sleeping on started levitating by itself. He awoke to find himself several feet in the air. "Hu-buh… wha…?" He mumbled, looking down. Raven quickly forced the couch back down again, and flipped the TV off. Beast Boy curled into the couch, taking the shape of a green dog. He was asleep again before Raven even left the room.

Raven crawled into bed, frustrated with her loss. He was clever, thinking to check a simple brooch for a homing device… she threw off her cloak, turning on her side. Well, she'd already invited him to the fireworks show, maybe he would make another appearance. You never knew with someone like that. Raven stifled a yawn, curling into her covers. Her darkly decorated room calmed her nerves, and soon she was calm enough to actually find sleep. Her chakra gem glittered in the night, then she was gone into more teasing dreams…

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

_I've come to understand from different reviews that I use a few too many exclamation points, so… sorry about that… (frowny face) I'm trying to cut back on them, but I just get so excited when I write… I just wanna convey it all the best I can. So, please bear with me, and come back for part seven! Thankies! I love reviews, if you have the time for one! _


	7. Who was that masked man, anyway?

Part seven has arrived! Joy! I don't own Teen Titans! Raven failed in her attempt to track down Shade last time, using the homing device in her brooch… will she try again at the fireworks show? And now that the Titans are suspicious, will Shade and Raven's relationship fall apart? Read and find out! Yay!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**Part 7**: **Who _was_ that Masked Man, Anyway?**

Raven sat at breakfast the next morning with Starfire. She'd slept late again, earning stares when she finally emerged into the common room. Beast Boy was the only one not present, probably still sleeping. She looked at them all quite gothically, and they seemed satisfied, going back to whatever they were doing. Raven made her morning tea, and sat down next to Starfire. The red head perked slightly when her gothic friend made her presence known at the table, and spoke up, "Friend, I trust you slept well, as is your habit lately?" One of Raven's eyebrows twitched, and she glared Starfire down. There was a long silence at the table. But, the alien princess found the courage to speak again, holding up the newspaper for Raven to see, "Raven, there is a show of the fireworks at the end of the week…" she said timidly, for Raven wasn't even looking at her. "We are going," She gestured to Robin. "Perhaps you would –" Starfire was sprayed with green tea, and sat there dripping. Her eyes were comical little circles, and she fountain-sprayed a little out of her mouth.

"_Fireworks_?" Raven said, wiping her mouth and rising for napkins to clean up the mess. They flew in formation, and soon the mess was gone. Everyone was staring at her again. She forced up a small, very fake-looking smile. "Uh… I _can't_. Sorry." Starfire's happy expression wilted, but Robin didn't seem to look surprised. This was _not_ good. Raven exited the common room, thinking hard. How was she going to meet Shade with her friends running around in the park? She had to keep him a secret or things would get crazy… the teenage super hero thought and thought and thought some more. She was thinking so hard and walking so fast she ran right into Beast Boy. They fell, one on top of the other. The green teen scrambled, swearing in a squeaky voice that he hadn't touched anything he shouldn't. "Don't worry about it." She swept away, leaving Beast Boy very confused. He scratched the back of his head, wondering what on Earth had just happened.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

It was time. Shade rose, donning his mask and opening his window. He leapt out into the night. The fireworks show would start in a little over half an hour. He had to hurry if he was going to be on time. The week had flown by for him, and it was time to meet with Raven again. He smiled behind his mask as he leapt from roof to roof. The park was straight ahead, now all he had to do was –

"Oh, I am most excited to see the works of fire, Robin!" He practically skidded to a halt, looking shocked. Well, as shocked as he could look with a mask on. _Was that…?_ He peered over the edge of the rooftop, looking down onto the sidewalk. Sure enough, two Teen Titans were walking down the sidewalk towards the park. "But why did Cyborg and Beast Boy not wish to join us?"

"Cyborg wants to finish a new modification on the T-car." Robin said as a matter of factly. "And the last time I saw Beast Boy, he had a bag with like a hundred quarters in it. He's probably downtown at the arcade. He was swearing he was going to get the high score on –" Shade lost interest there, but he had to hurry and warn Raven. If they were seen together… who knew what would happen. His eyes squinted behind the mask as he picked up the pace, flying through the night like a living shadow.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Raven was the first to arrive at the old oak tree. Its branches were so high and wide that they seemed to blot out the night sky. When it rained, not even a drop could get through to the ground if it struck the tree itself. If three large men joined hands, they still wouldn't be able to stand in a circle around the trunk. It was the eldest tree in Jump City, and was considered a natural landmark of the park. She leaned casually against it, watching spectators go by, trying to find a good spot for the fireworks. Young couples sat around the lake here and there, talking in loving whispers. The lake was a good spot, but from the old oak, you could see _everything_. The entire park was in view, and the lake would reflect the light from the fireworks for twice the show. _Perfect_. Raven allowed herself a small smile when she heard the branches above her rustle. "Your friends are coming here. The boy wonder and the red head." He reported softly from up in the tree. No one was even close to them, but he wasn't taking any chances.

"I know." Raven murmured. "We'll just have to be cautious." She turned and looked up in the tree. Sure enough, Shade was perched in the branches like a ninja, looking down at her. Raven felt a small wave of guilt wash over her as she looked at him. "Sorry about the… uhm…" she looked away suddenly.

"No worries. You were curious, but you didn't find out anything. Sorry I have to keep something from you." He tumped to the ground, landing in a squat position. He slowly stood, only a little taller than her, and Raven turned towards the park. Darkness was falling, and stars were beginning to peek out of the sky. It was cloudless, a perfect night for fireworks.

They didn't speak for a long time, and he wrapped his arms around her from behind. It was much the way Malchior had, before he'd turned traitor. Raven's eyes smiled with happiness, and she sighed softly. Shade wasn't magic, so at least he was human… as far as she knew. "Shade…?" she whispered.

"Mmm?" he said, keeping careful eyes over the park, for whenever the other two Titans would show up. "Something wrong?"

"No… I…" Raven leaned into him just a little. "I just wanted to say thank you."

"For what?"

"For all this." She whispered back. "I…… I never thought I would find somebody to like me out there."

Shade gave a darker chuckle. "Sometimes, love is closer than you think." He whispered, making her flush slightly. She leaned into him a little further, sighing softly. "People say its such an impossible thing to find, but its not so bad." Even through the voice distorter he wore, he sounded noble. Raven wildly fantasized that there could be a handsome prince behind the mask… or maybe a chiseled he-man… she knew he wasn't especially muscle-bound, but that hardly mattered to someone like her. "It took me a while to realize I liked you, Raven. But after that…" he fell silent quite suddenly, and her brow furrowed. "_Someone comes_." He let go of her, and vanished up into the tree.

"Friend _Raven_!" Starfire exploded, crushing Raven in a hug. "You _have_ come!"

"You're _hugging_ me!" Raven warned, an alarming number of bones popping at the alien princess' strength. Where had they come from so _suddenly_! Robin and Starfire had spotted her, alone, under the old oak, and had come over to see her.

"I didn't think you would show, Raven. You made it sound like you didn't want to come." Robin said.

"Change of plans." Raven said simply, looking at them. She very suddenly noticed Robin was holding Starfire's hand. Her eyebrow went up, and she found the perfect way to rid herself of both of them. "If you two are gonna be all lovey-dovey, go find your own spot to watch, okay?" she didn't want to sound mean, but she had someone she would rather spend the evening with.

"Uhm…" Robin's face was stained red, and finally he nodded in agreement. He led a waving Starfire away, and Raven watched them go out of sight.

"That was close." Raven sighed, leaning back against the tree.

"Uh huh." Shade had reappeared at her side. "Those two are serious about each other, huh?" He tilted his head just a bit, watching them leave. "Can't imagine what their kids would be like."

"No telling." Raven smiled from under her eyebrows, and pinned him against the tree by leaning on him. "Don't go anywhere. The show's about to start." He nodded, placing his arms around her. She could feel his heart beating like crazy.

And, start it did! Raven saw the small switches go off, and a bunch of little rockets shot into the dark of night. There was a short silence, and everyone in the park held their breath. Raven leaned forward slightly. The darkness suddenly exploded with light, blasting away the night in a spectacular show of sight and thunderous sound. Wave after wave of blue and green rocked the sky, swirling and blasting and dropping sparks into the lake. Shade smiled behind his mask, tightening his grip on Raven. She noticed and leaned back into him. He slid down into the sitting position, and soon she was in his lap. Her hood fell back and she rested her head in the crook of his arm. The show continued, and the music started… a fast, happy sort of music that made all the young couples along the shoreline sway back and forth to the beat.

Robin and Starfire were amongst the couples that sat around the shoreline. Starfire summoned all her courage, and put an arm around his waist. He smiled at her and returned the gesture. They leaned into each other, and she rested her head on his shoulder. _This is just like the day at the carnival_, thought Starfire. The boy wonder heaved a sigh, stroking her hair as rainbows of light split the sky. "Look Starfire, they're starting with the shape ones!"

"Do all fireworks not have shapes?" she asked, a little confused.

"No, look." Robin pointed with his free hand. A bottle rocket shot into the sky, and when it blew up it left a diamond in the sky, made of sparkling light. The next one was a square. Then a circle. And even a few musical notes. Starfire gasped at the extraordinary display.

"_Wonderful_!" She clapped, giggling with delight. Robin smiled at her, and she suddenly caught his eyes. "Friend Robin… ah…" she seemed, for once, at a loss for words. Nothing could seem to break the alien princess out of her trance, and she felt herself leaning forward in disbelief.

"Starfire…" Robin's eyes fell closed as her arm pulled him closer. She tilted her head one way, and then the other. He leaned forward… and fell with a crash.

"Ouch!" He said, sitting up and rubbing his face. "What _happened_?" Starfire was still staring, but not at him. He felt his ego take a serious blow. She hadn't been looking at him at all, but _past_ him. Towards the old oak tree. A pair of shapes were sitting there, and they were too far to see who it was. But, one of them was wearing a dark cloak. One of them was Raven… but the other they couldn't quite make out.

"Look." She whispered, pointing.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Shade had Raven draped in his lap, and the darkness kept them away from prying eyes. The shade of the tree was like a blanket, only the brightest fireworks lighting them up. He held her by the backs of her knees, and cradled her torso as she was leaned into him. The shape fireworks had started, and it would only be a matter of time before the heart-shaped ones would appear. Then, he would try for a kiss, he decided.

Raven heaved a sigh, feeling his warm flesh pressed against her. Her _boyfriend_… the word sounded so alien to her, but it was true. She let her eyes fall shut, seeing the brighter fireworks through her eyelids. She let out a little moan, content where she was. "Uh oh." Shade ruined the moment with two words.

"_Uh oh_? What?" Raven's eyes snapped open.

"They've spotted us." He whispered. "Don't turn and look, keep your eyes on the fireworks." Shade sounded a little nervous. Robin and Starfire were staring at them from across the lake. They looked small from way over there, but you could definitely tell they were looking straight at them. Raven's heart beat hard, fluttering this way and that like a trapped butterfly. "What should we do?"

"Stay here." Raven said firmly. "They've spotted us. They know about you, so what's the point in running for it?" She looked at him, suddenly moistened in the eyes. "Are you ashamed to be associated with me, hiding from my friends like you are?"

"_No, I'm not_." He said it quickly enough that Raven believed him. "I… just didn't want things to get too complicated before we had more time together… that's all…" he looked uncomfortable, staring at the boy wonder and alien princess across the lake. "Here comes the finale." He said, watching an enormous bottle rocket shoot into the sky. He stood, helping Raven to her feet. "Let's give them something to talk about, then." He embraced her. She nodded in agreement.

Raven took over right then, enveloping him in her cloak. "Hold onto me." She whispered heatedly. His grip tightened as he was pulled against her. Her powers opened a portal right beneath their feet, and darkness fell over the park. All the other fireworks had gone dead, and the last one was still climbing into the sky. It was pitch black, and suddenly the park was lit as though the sun had come out _all at once_! Brilliant sparks and flares, all from the same giant bottle rocket, brought cheers and clapping from everyone present. But, by the time it had exploded, Raven and Shade had vanished.

"Did you just see……?" Robin was pointing to where he'd seen them, but he couldn't finish his sentence.

"I did." Starfire whispered, unable to believe it. "I was correct from the beginning. It is a _boy_ that occupies her." The red head sat there, wondering in silence for a long time. "Should we speak with her about him?"

"I think so." Robin said. "If she wants to keep him hidden, then there might be something up with him." The boy wonder stood and helped Starfire to her feet. "He didn't look too different from Red X, but something tells me this is different…" he stroked his chin thoughtfully. Starfire continued to look at the old oak tree, but found no sign of her friend… or her friend's _boyfriend_. The thought made her blush, but she could find no words to say. Who _was_ that masked man, anyway? _She'd_ certainly never seen him before.

"This is a rather unexpected development…" Starfire murmured.

"Yeah… yeah it is." Robin said, taking her hand as they started home.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

"Where are we?" Shade was disoriented from the subspace travel. Raven held him steady until he could see straight again. The thanked her, shaking his head a couple of times to get his sharp eyesight back.

"This is… this is where we first met." Raven said, gesturing. They stood in a dirty, broken down alleyway. The nearby dumpster was filled to the bursting with garbage, and an alley cat ran by with all speed. The bricks were dirty and covered with graffiti. It looked… very different at night. When Mumbo had been running through here, it had been night as well… but neither of them had really stopped to look at the place.

Shade chuckled slightly. "Interesting place to meet, huh? When I heard Mumbo coming, I thought this might be a good place to take him out and talk to you… in private."

"I know." Raven said. "Now I've got a question. How did you beat me back to the tower the other night? You can't fly. At least… not that I've seen." She looked him over. He didn't have rocket boots or a jetpack on…" Raven's powers flared for just a moment. On the astral plain he didn't show up with any sort of psychic energies… so how…?

"There's more to _you_ than meets the eye too." He said cryptically. "I got back the same way you did." This confused Raven only further, and she knew she wouldn't get a straight answer out of him. Giving up, she turned to leave. "What? Not waiting for a riddle, and not leaving one either?" he asked.

"I'm not done with you yet. C'mon." Raven led him down the street, avoiding street lamps and moving through shadow. He followed at a distance, in case someone would be watching. She stopped in front of a café. _Her_ café, **_The Fireplace_**. "This is where I come sometimes, just to be alone." There was a long silence of him staring up at the sign. "You… wanna go in for some tea or something?"

Shade tapped the part of his mask where the mouth on a face would've been. "There's a little problem with that. Otherwise, I would say yes."

Raven allowed herself a small smile. "I forgot. That mask pretty much _is_ your face… at least to me." She'd forgotten all about the mask thing that he had going on. She wondered, perhaps for the hundredth time, why he didn't want her to see his face. Was he ugly or something? No… she'd felt his smooth skin when they'd nuzzled at the graveyard. They were close enough to kiss, but not _look_ at each other equally? A small surge of annoyance made itself known, but she quickly quelled it. He'd promised to show her someday… whenever _that_ was.

"Well… I'd say this is where we split up for now." Shade said, reaching into his belt.

"_Wait_." Raven said as he produced a purple rose. "I… uhm…" Raven held something out to him. He took it, seeing it was another of her glass brooches. "This one's not booby trapped." She promised. "I took the homing device out." He laughed for a moment, then tossed the rose high into the air. Raven's eyes followed it obediently… and when it landed on the ground he was gone. She shook her head, allowing one more smile for the evening. Shade had a style all his own… and that was why she liked him so much.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I love fireworks! That was part seven out of eleven! I guess Raven's gonna wait patiently for whenever Shade wants to unmask. But, that brings up a bigger question… who's behind the mask? A new addition to the Teen Titans, maybe! That would be cool, huh? Well, as usual, if you have the time… please leave a review so I know what's up with my readers. Thank you, and see you in part **eight**!


	8. No more riddles?

_Good to see you again! Thanks for sticking around for part eight, No More Riddles! I don't wanna hold you back any more than usual, so get reading! I don't own Teen Titans!_

**

* * *

**

**Part 8: No More Riddles?**

Raven arrived in the common room, and found everyone sitting around the table. "Hello, Raven." Robin said, his fingers interlocked as he rested his chin on his hands.

"Got somethin' you wanna tell us?" Beast Boy wanted to know.

"What's shakin' down, girl?" Cyborg looked genuinely confused, because no one had told him _anything_ yet.

"Yes, please come and share!" Starfire said, looking chipper and completely missing the seriousness of the situation. "Tell us of your travels with the dark masked man!"

"_Say what_!" Cyborg exploded, looking around. "Why was I left outta the loop here!"

"Beast Boy told us that you went out the other day," Robin said. "To the Jump City _graveyard_. He pretended to be asleep and followed you." Raven stood frozen in the doorway, wanting to run for her life. _They knew_. They knew and they'd all assembled to _confront_ her.

"I turned into a hummingbird and flew behind ya!" Beast Boy said, grinning. "So, you got a boyfriend now, and you didn't wanna tell us? I couldn't see his face since hummingbird vision is so bad, but it **_had_** to be a dude the way he was _hittin'_ on you!"

"…_So_?" was all Raven could think to say, pulling her hood up. "It's my business if I want to find someone for myself."

"This guy isn't normal though, Raven. He could be trouble." Robin said, gesturing that she sit down. "He doesn't look much different than Red X."

"…_So_? What does anyone in this tower know about _normal_?" Raven said defensively. "Don't people like _you_ say looks aren't everything?" Her hair was starting to charge with static electricity. Her powers were on the brink. The situation was not getting any better, and Robin really wasn't going about it the right way.

"People like _me_ try to protect their friends when they need protecting." Robin said, trying keep his tone neutral. "I'm glad you found somebody… but why keep him a secret?"

Raven looked resigned at last, and Robin knew he would get at least a few answers if he kept going. "I've never even seen his face. I wouldn't know what to tell you."

"Wait, wait, _wait_!" Cyborg spoke up. "Raven's got a boyfriend, and nobody _told_ _me_?" He looked infuriated, sitting down hard and grumbling to himself. He considered himself to be like Raven's big brother, and had wanted to check out the guys that Raven was around… _if she ever decided to hangaround them_...He didn't have a romantic interest in Raven himself, but he just wanted to know so he knew she was safe. How was he supposed to do that with her sneaking around all the time?

"Yeah, big shocker, dude." Beast Boy patted his friend's shoulder. "I couldn't believe what I was seeing either, and Robin told me to keep quiet about it… like I was _lying_ or something."

"I just wanted visual confirmation for myself, that's all." Robin said in a business-like tone, looking embarrassed. "Jumping to conclusions isn't something we can afford to do with something like that. Especially when _you're_ the one giving the report, Beast Boy."

"Then, what do you _want_?" Raven said, looking at them in turn. "I can't exactly invite him over to meet everybody. I don't even know when he'll show up next."

"You always know when and where to meet him, though." Robin said. "_How_?"

"Yes. You have been disappearing during the night time many times lately." Starfire added in.

Raven was growing more and more uncomfortable with every second. Finally, she reached into her cloak and drew out the rose. Purple, and covered with dew as though freshly picked, she showed it to them. "He leaves me roses, with riddles attached to them. The answer to the riddle always points to where he'll show up next."

"And what did this riddle say?" Robin asked.

"I… don't know." Raven said, turning the rose several times. "There's no slip of paper attached to this one. I just got home, so I never got the chance to read it…" Everyone looked a little frustrated, especially Robin. Raven suddenly stood angrily. "I don't need your _permission_ to go out with someone!" her powers flared angrily, and the lightbulb above the table blasted apart. Beast Boy squealed, hiding under the table with Silkie, who was trembling. "Thanks to you, _Robin_, spotting us at the lake… we had to panic and leave. The riddle probably got dropped into _subspace_." Raven hissed angrily. "I don't even know where to find him now." The rose burst into flames because of her powers, and all four Titans jumped.

"Raven… I…" Robin looked ashamed as Beast Boy went and flicked a lamp on. "I didn't mean to–" She glared him down, and he shut up.

"Maybe from now on you can respect the privacy of _others_ a little better." She said, rising from her seat. "You're a _detective_, and you're the _leader_… but you need to _butt_ _out_." A cabinet in the kitchen area flew open, and a few dishes tumbled out. They broke on the floor, and Raven made her way to the double doors of the common room. Raven tossed the burnt rose onto the table, right in front of the boy wonder.

"Raven… I'm sorry… I just wanted…" Robin tried.

"To look after me? Well, I've got someone else looking after me now." Raven whispered. "His name is _Shade_." She opened the double doors and stepped into the elevator. "Good _night_." The doors hissed shut, and the four remaining Titans were left in silence.

"Well, that… could've gone _worse_." Beast Boy was the first to speak, peeking from under the table.

"Oh _shut_ _up_." Robin mumbled, pulling a soda out of the fridge. "I don't see you with any quarters left. You must've failed in your 'mission', huh?" Beast Boy fumed silently at the boy wonder, but didn't say anything. It was true, he hadn't gotten his highly esteemed high score at the arcade… but Robin didn't have to rub it in his _face_…

Starfire looked around helplessly. There were mean words flying in every direction and there was nothing she could think of to do. Raven had found a potential mate, Robin was being the 'mothering hen', Cyborg had no idea what was going on, and Beast Boy was… _Beast Boy_. The red head didn't know what to think, and sat alone at the table as one by one the other Titans disappeared to their own rooms.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Raven reached into her leotard, between her breasts. Making sure the door to her room was shut and locked, and no one was nearby… she produced a tiny slip of paper. She'd fooled them all, and now she and a moment to herself. After Shade had vanished, she'd remembered that Robin and Starfire had seen them. So, she'd taken the riddle off of the rose without reading it, and put it in the one place Robin would never dare to look. She'd burned the rose for dramatic effect during the session of '_twenty questions_', but she had the important part right there. Shade's riddle. She held her breath, leaving her leotard unzipped part-way… and opened it.

_There are no more riddles in this case, the face you seek… is in **The** **Fireplace**. High Noon, 7 days._

Raven's breath caught in her throat, and she clutched at her chest for a moment. Three of her meditation candles snapped in half, and a decorative lamp flew across the room. She stopped it just before it hit the wall, and gently set it down. "He's going to…" she didn't dare say it, for fear of being wrong. He was going to meet her in her own depressing café, The Fireplace, and… unmask! She'd finally be able to see his face! She stood, her heart beating hard. Seven days, though… that would be an eternity all its own. As she lay down to sleep, Raven smiled to herself. Even if Beast Boy tried to follow her, he never dared to come into The Fireplace, so they'd be safe from prying eyes _there_. High noon… maybe to throw the others off? Wait… how had he known where her favorite café was? She'd only told him moments before he'd given her the rose. Raven decided not to dwell on the thought, and to find some sleep. She could meditate tomorrow, and pass some of the time that was bound to stretch forever… waiting for the priceless moment when the question she'd been pondering for the last eighteen days would be answered. _Who is Shade_?

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Azarath… Metrion… Zinthos…" Raven murmured. She was on the roof, letting the breeze freshen her spirits like her meditation. Robin had been strangely nice to her the past few days… still sorry about lecturing her like an overprotective _parent_. Cyborg had to ask Beast Boy all kinds of questions to arrive at the same page as everyone else, but was finally caught up. Starfire had been keeping a cheery, but careful, distance from her as well. She understood that Raven was separated from a loved one… and respected her space. Beast Boy, on the other hand… "Azarinth… Metrion… Z–"

Hey **_Raaaaaaveeeeen_**!" Beat Boy exploded onto the roof, and Raven crashed to the floor. Her hair got her eyes, and she poofed some air out her mouth to move it. She made to glare at him and make him fly off the roof, but he had other plans. "_Lookie_!" He had a newspaper in his hands, and stuffed it up to her face.

Raven took it and read the headline. **_Mysterious 'Shade' Throws Cotume Party – Gotham Orchestra's Final Night in Jump City_** The teenage girl stood with a gasp, staring at the picture. It was, indeed, a picture Shade. He was standing there, arms folded, looking at the camera like it was no threat at all. "How… what's all _this_…?" Raven whispered, shocked.

"Your boyfriend's throwing a party for the whole _town_! That's _awesome_! I gotta go get ready!" He jetted away, and Raven read the fine print under the picture.

"The mysterious masked man, Shade (above), asks that all of Jump City come and see the Gotham City orchestra on the last day of the month at the Jump City Grand Hall…" Raven read. "He spoke with the mayor, requesting that he even invite the Teen Titans." Her eyes widened. "This is……" Raven couldn't even find words for it. He was going to unmask himself for her, and then throw a town-sized party and invite her and all her friends only five days later! "This is… _interesting_…" She read the remainder of the article. "You have to wear a mask to the party, and wear it at all times… music provided by the Gotham City Orchestra and a local rock band…" The last bit caught her interest the most. "_Unmasking at midnight, at the stroke of twelve?_" Her friends would see him too, and know who he was. Raven thought hard, licking her dry lips. "…Perfect." She left the rooftop, straight for Robin's room.

--------------------------------------------------------------------

She phased through the wall, not bothering to knock. Robin was leaned over a Slade artifact on his desk. One of Slade's 'S-bombs' was being carefully dismantled. A bright light on the desk and not much else, he had a magnifying glass and a tiny screwdriver. When he was drawn away from the machine itself, Raven spoke his name. "Huh? Oh… hey, Raven." He looked nervous at her presence, and she shoved the paper into his hands. He scanned the cover page and stood bolt up.

"So," Raven smiled sadistically. "Are you taking Starfire to the party?" Robin looked at her in disbelief when she said that, but knew that everything was already in motion.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Raven was out on the roof again, but she'd accidentally left the door to her room open a crack. Robin, looking both ways down the hall, slipped inside. He looked around for anything unusual. Well, anything unusual for _Raven_… he found something right on her pillow. _Shade's latest riddle_. He scanned it over, then frowned. "She lied." He murmured. "No more jobs for Beast Boy." He placed it right back where he'd found it, in the exact same position. Robin slipped out into the hallway, and back to his own room. "_I'm_ on the case now." He whispered, closing his door.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Shade muttered to himself, sitting at his desk. He was drawing up plans for a new mask. His regular one would be fine for _The Fireplace_, but the mask party required something a little better. "Hmm…" he looked over at Raven's glass brooch, which he'd kept hidden until right then. He turned it over and over in his hands, thinking.

The mayor had been pretty easy to convince to throw the mask party. A new super hero shows up, invites everyone in town to a party, including the Teen Titans… The orchestra would sell out and then some. Donations could be enormous if the right people showed up. The Grand Ballroom was almost as big as a _football field_, so it was rarely used. Why not use it for something _spectacular_? But, he warned the mayor, save the last dance for _him_. The mayor had laughed nervously at the dark figure, but agreed whole-heartedly. It would be great to help city moral, and having six super heroes there would be a big plus as well. They agreed on a date, and it was on the front page of the newspaper the next day, much to Shade's amusement.

Suddenly, Shade was struck with _inspiration_. "Well… I guess it's worth a shot." Once the rough draft was done, he set to work on the real thing. This was gonna be _great_.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

_Why is Shade throwing a costume party for the whole freaking town? What's Robin gonna do now that he's '**on the case**?' What is Raven's outfit gonna look like, all dressed up at a party like that? All that and more next time on Dragonball Z! …wait a second, that's not right…… Hmm… while I put my thoughts in order, why don't you guys ponder the answers to the questions... I'll see you in part nine, **Making a Mask**! Thank you and review if you have time!_


	9. Making a mask?

_I don't own Teen Titans. We're coming close to the end, folks! I hope you've enjoyed the story so far, because now we're coming to the climax! Is Shade really gonna take off his mask and show Raven who he is… or is Robin going to spoil their plans? Find out today in part nine of eleven!_

* * *

**Part 9: Making a Mask?**

Raven stood outside The Fireplace at high noon, looking at the tinted windows. Even during the day it was dark in there. The familiar place would be where… finally… she would unmask Shade. Raven pulled up her hood so she was sure to make a gothic entrance to her favorite place. She was well-known there, so she had a bit of a reputation.

She entered, and the little bell above the door tinkled. A dark, mellow scene greeted her, and the familiar setting was the way it always ways. Private booths were set up all around the room, and a few tables were here and there. Red, black, and dark brown seemed to be the only colors present. The big screen TV was on mute, just like always, on the news station. Looking around, Raven only saw the barkeep and two other people present. She recognized one, and the other was just as goth as the other customer.

"Hey, Ralph." She said softly, keeping the mellow mood of the place intact. She approached the barkeep. He was cleaning glasses. (A/N: _Sound out the man's sentences slowly to understand what he says. I'm not making fun of Scottish people, but I think spelling things like the way they talk makes it more interesting… And don't ask why he's called Ralph. He just **IS**_.)

"Ach, so yeh finally bahck, Miz Raevuhn!" He said. He had a nice Scottish accent, which made him well suited for the place. "How's ye sooper-erow life treatin' yeh? I wuz stahtin' teh think yeh'd fuhgotten abou' us!" He gestured around to no one, and Raven offered a small smile. "The yooshooal, I eck-_spect_? Tea and _quiet_?" he said, reachng under the bar for a tea kettle and hot water.

"Not today, Ralph." Raven said politely, eyeing the room carefully. "I'm waiting for someone."

"Ah, yeh'r bonnie lad is over _there_!" he pointed, knowing who she meant. His 'R' rolled across his tongue pretty hard, but she understood and turned the way was pointing.

There, sitting in the shadow of a private booth, was Shade. "Thanks." She said softly to the barkeep, going over to join him. She sat across the table from him, and there was a long silence. "…uhm…" Raven said a little uncomfortable. "_Well_?"

"I'm sorry." He whispered. "I can't take this off yet." he pointed to his mask as he spoke, but she could barely hear him.

"_Why_?" she almost shrieked aloud. He'd promised to, and he was denying her right when the moment of truth came! Why would he _do_ such a thing?

"Don't look around." He whispered, pointing at her carefully. "But… Robin is watching us."

"_What_?" she whispered in disbelief. She fought the urge to search him out and blow him up, but she kept her eyes on Shade instead. "Why… how… how did he _know_?"

"He must've read my last riddle." Shade whispered back. "He's in disguise as one of the customers, the one with the hat on." Raven chanced a glance. Sure enough, a customer with a hat on had his nose deep in a book, keeping his face hidden. "I wouldn't be surprised if that book was fake, and it was actually a camera and long range microphone, that's why I'm whispering."

Raven cursed softly. "Why can't he just leave us _alone_?" she grumbled, resting her head on her palm. She made herself look bored, as though nothing amazing was happening right then. "So… I heard you were throwing a party." She allowed a tiny smile.

"Yes." He nodded once, and there was a smile in his voice that she detected. "On the night of the dance, I _will_ take this mask off, Raven." He leaned and took one of her hands in both of his. "This, I promise you."

"The unmasking is at midnight. Is that when?"

"Yeah." He nodded. "I'm starting to get tired of being Shade." He admitted, letting go of her at last. "It won't matter if Robin is three feet away, or _whoever_ is there at the party. At midnight, **Shade** will cease to be… and you'll meet…" he hesitated for a moment. "You'll meet the _real_ me."

"I hope he's as nice as you." Raven teased him a little, her eyebrows tilting upward as she smiled.

"I hope _you_ think so, at least." Shade whispered. He seemed unsure of himself, and Raven frowned.

"Why are you so afraid…?" Raven whispered. "You don't think I'll like you when the mask comes off?" He didn't answer, but looked away instead. She took his hand in hers this time, "You'll still be the same person, mask or no mask. You'll still be the guy I…… _love_." Her whisper had fallen even lower. He seemed shocked to hear her say that, and suddenly it was clear that the conversation was over.

Shade stood, and reached within his belt. His hand was trembling slightly, Raven noticed. "This rose is fake…" he whispered, showing it to her. It was white. The softest, most _romantic_ white Raven had ever seen. It seemed to have a soft glow around it, and Raven picked it up right away.

"No riddle?" She asked, seeing no little piece of paper on any of the thorns.

"No more need for riddles." Shade said. "The next time we meet, you'll see the real me… and they'll be no need for all this secrecy." He turned to leave, but paused. "Could you do me a favor?"

"What?"

"Wear that rose instead of one of your brooches on the night of the dance." said Shade. Raven found it an odd request, but nodded. "I would be… _honored_, if you would dance with me right before the midnight unmasking." He gave a slow wave, and stood to leave. Raven watched him go, since there wasn't enough space for a disappearing act this time. As soon as he was out the door, though, she stood.

Raven made her way to the barkeep, whispering something in his ear. Robin, who was not far away, pretended to turn in his seat so the long-range microphone was pointing their way. He hadn't been able to make anything out during Raven and Shade's conversation, but maybe – _his hat was lifted off his head_.

Robin looked up, his black mask and spiky hair exposed. Raventowered over him and he sweat-dropped. "Next time, try not to hide when you're not in your own element." Raven said. "This is _my_ turf." She made a gesture, and her powers clamped one of his hands to the table! He let out a yelp, and the barkeep was already on his way.

"Ach, is this the _maroon_, Miz Raevuhn?" Ralph wanted to know, taking his book. Robin couldn't get up to take it back, and watched rather helplessly. "The geenius of meh?" He read the title with his own thick accent. Really, it was called, '_The Genius of Me_.' "Well, I cuhn fix _this_!" Pulling a kitchen utensil from behind the bar, he stabbed the fake book with a knife! It sparked and fizzled, little plastic pieces flying everywhere. The mechanical parts stopped working, and it went dead. He set the book, knife and all, on the table in front of Robin. Why there was a knife like that in a coffee shop/cafe, not even _Raven_ wanted to know.

"_And_?" Raven said, smiling rather sadistically. Ralph produced a kitchen timer from behind the bar. She took it from him, and enveloped it in her powers. It turned black, and the little timer set itself for an hour and a half. She set it down in front of Robin and showed him the count. "There's how long you have to stay in time-out." She said. Robin glared at her, but she knew she was getting all the revenge she needed for the intrusion of privacy. "An hour and a half, and your hand will come free. Don't mess with the timer, or it'll reset." She shook a finger as he reached for it with his free hand. It sparked at him and he yelped, shaking his hand back and forth. Sure enough, the readout went back to an hour and thirty minutes. "Told you." Raven's eyes narrowed and she let herself have a small smile. "See you later, Robin." She set the hat back on his head, walking away.

"_Raven_!" Robin called after her, but he was stuck sitting at the table. "You can't just leave me here like this! _Raven_!"

"_Ach_!" Ralph gave him a hard slap on the back and Robin almost hit his face on the table in the recoil. "Yeh'd doo well not tehr make that one mad, eh laddie?" He stood, pulling out a little pad and pen. "Now, since yeh're here, what'll yeh hahve?"

Robin stared at him for a long time, but he looked serious. "_Tea_, please." He grumbled, resting his head on an elbow. His trapped hand was shrouded in black, and he wasn't going _anywhere_. At least, not for another hour and twenty-eight minutes.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Raven was just in the door when Starfire found her. "Raven, have you seen friend Robin? I cannot locate him!"

Raven stifled a smile, pulling her hood up. "He got tied up downtown. He'll be home soon." Starfire seemed satisfied with her answer, but Raven got a private chuckle out of the deal. She returned to the hall where her room was, and suddenly she was stopped.

"Raven, I'm a vampire! _Bleah_! I've come to suck you're _blood_! Bleah! _Bleah_!" It was Beast Boy of course, in a dashing cape wearing fake fangs. "Fear my… uhm… _fang thingies_!" He hissed at her dramatically, waggling his fingers at her. She palmed his face and shoved him out of her personal space.

"It's a **_mask_ **party,you idiot." Raven said. "You wear _nice clothes_, and a mask."

"But the paper said _costume_ _party_!" He whined, spitting his fake fangs out.

"The mask _is_ your costume, if you'd read the whole thing." Raven insisted. Beast Boy's elf-like ears wilted, and he thought long and hard.

"Hmm… _vampire mask_!" He said, thrusting a finger into the air. Raven sighed as he rushed off to create a monster. He would no doubt make a fool of himself. She found herself curious, and went to see Starfire. She'd been working on something too, ever since the announcement in the paper.

Raven approached her room and heard her humming. She knocked twice. "_Enter_!" Starfire chirped. Raven came in, finding Starfire amongst what looked like an entire art store. She was creating her own mask, but several of them were in the trash bin, rejected ideas. "Friend Raven! Do you wish to partake in the making of a disguise for the party of masks?" Raven sweat-dropped. Starfire had paint, pencils, concept drawings, scissors, glue, glitter, beads, feathers, and lord knew what else.

Raven thought for a moment. She _did_ need to make a mask… "Why not?" she squatted down , sitting on her legs as Starfire passed her pencil and paper. "Draw it first, _then_ make it…" Raven murmured, picking both up. "Hmm…" Raven drew a little comical version of _herself,_ drawn chibi-style. Next to it, she drew several outlines for a mask. Looking at all the supplies Starfire had at her disposal, Raven started drawing…

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

_**About two hours later…**_

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"It will be a most joyous occasion!" Starfire was smiling the whole time. Her mask was as red as her hair, dry feathers arranged in a pattern around the eye-holes. "Yes…" she murmured to herself, letting her girlish creativity take wing. "Mmm…" she whispering to herself the whole time.

"Robin's taking you to the party, right?" Raven asked, making girl-talk to pass the time.

"Yes. He is going to be my escort." Starfire blushed, pretending to look through her mask again so her face wouldn't be visible. "Cyborg and Beast Boy are going alone, I have heard them tell me… but I do not doubt they will find someone of the opposite gender to escort as well!" Raven sweat-dropped. That was probably true, and Beast Boy would take every opportunity to show off how popular he was with the girls… "Is it always a custom for the males on this planet to escort females to events such as this, Raven?"

"Yeah, I guess." Raven said, X-ing out her latest creation on the paper and trying again.

There was a long silence and Starfire fidgeted for a moment. Then, she summoned her courage to speak. "Then… the _Shade_ will escort you?" Starfire asked timidly.

Raven looked at her, looking for any sign of a joke or an embarrassing remark. But, no… her face was serious for once. "Yeah… _Shade'll_ be my date."

There was a sudden, loud knock at the door. "_Enter_!" Starfire proclaimed, smiling.

Cyborg stepped in, red in the face. He was dressed in what was probably the most broad-shouldered tuxedo anyone had ever seen. There was even a cape and a top hat. "Well…?" He murmured, staring at the floor.

"_Mask too_!" Beast Boy was just outside of their range of vision. Cyborg sighed, pulling out a small, half-mask. It was white like ivory, and he held it up to the metallic half of his face. It stuck with magnetism, and he looked at the two girls for judgment.

"Phantom of the Opera." Raven observed. "It fits." She gave him a thumbs-up.

"_Joyous day_!" Starfire squealed. "The small piece of plastic on your face is wonderful! You will surely find someone to escort for the party of masks!" She jumped up and hugged him to show approval.

Cyborg brightened, playing with the end of his cape. "Well, looks like I'm all set then." He gave a thumbs up, and went to take it all off so it wouldn't get messed up. Beast Boy trooped after him, leaving the door open.

Robin suddenly came into view, out of breath. Raven stifled a smile, and Starfire greeted him with a giggling smile. "Would you wish to partake in the making of a mask, friend Robin?" She held up the mask she was working on for him to see.

"I already wear a mask." Robin said, shrugging. "It won't be any different for me." Starfire frowned, and he left.

"You should probably make him one yourself, he's a little grouchy." Raven said wisely. "And a little too proud to do arts and crafts."

Starfire gasped. "A wondrous idea!" She nodded happily. "As soon as I have finished my own, I shall craft one for friend Robin!" Raven had given her another project, and it would turn out well… as long as she steered clear of the glitter…… Raven looked down at the drawing of herself, and realized that she hadn't made her cloak dark… the Raven in the picture was wearing white. The teen goth blushed just a little, erasing the brooch she'd given the drawing of herself. She replaced it with a white flower, a small smile coming to her face. "You have received another rose from… _the Shade_?" Starfire asked softly, seeing what she was doing. Raven regarded her closely, but then nodded.

"It'll be a part of my outfit when the time comes…" Raven murmured, reaching for the basic mask outlines Starfire had on paper. "This shouldn't take too long."

* * *

_Darn it! Raven was so close to finding out Shade's identity… Why do I torture my readers so…? To make sure you come back and read more when the next part comes up, of course. Remember, I've already finished writing the story, so the parts will come at a steady pace. This is part nine, so there's only two parts left. The Jump City Mask Party starts in part ten, so don't be late! Next time it's part ten, The Final Countdown! See ya there!_


	10. The Final Countdown?

Well, it's almost time to say goodbye in this story. There will be no opening greeting in the final chapter, so I'll go ahead and say I don't own Teen Titans now so I won't have to say it in **then**! I hope all of my readers have enjoyed… and reviewed at least once… this story. I thank all of you for merely showing your support. My ultimate goal in life is to become a published writer, so hearing from so many people warms my heart… Many of my reviewers have made accusations as to my **OC's** identity… but who is Shade **really**? Well, it's party time! Grab your mask, 'cuz its gonna be a wild night! I don't own Teen Titans! (That one was for **this** chapter.)

* * *

**Part 10: The Final Countdown?**

The night had finally arrived. Jump City citizens, politicians, children, teens, and everyone else were gathering. Tables had been set up, and the buffet was huge. Shade arrived early, making sure proper security measures were in place. With so many people in one place, all it took was one super villain to start a mass panic… and that could be deadly. All the spotlights were working, the band was setting up, the orchestra was tuning now and then according to the acoustics of the room. After Shade was sure that everything was going smoothly, he vanished again. This made all of the people setting up work harder. '_Shade could be watching_,' they would whisper amongst themselves, smiling to on another. Shade had gotten very little publicity but a great deal of _popularity_ in only a few days. This would be the biggest party Jump City had ever witnessed.

People started arriving early, along with Cyborg. Dressed in his tuxedo and white mask, he was pretty uncomfortable until he saw some of the outrageous masks some people were wearing. A short, fat woman went by with a petite, hold-with-a-stick mask with fluff all over it. To top it all off, it was _yellow_. Tack-_ey_! Cyborg relaxed near one of the many punch bowls, wondering when the others would arrive. He spoke with a few people, mostly getting thank you's for various heroic events that had happened recently. He felt better about the way he was dressed in no time at all.

It was perhaps nine-thirty when Robin and Starfire arrived. Starfire wore her fiery prom dress, sparkling whenever she walked. The mask she had created was really nice, too. It was a red, feathery sun mask that covered her face. It had a strap that daintily became a tiara in the back of her head, making her look like royalty. Well, she **_is_** royalty but you know what I mean. She looked slowly around, and Robin took her arm. She giggled girlishly, for he'd decided to wear the mask she'd made for him on top of his super hero mask.

Robins mask was sleek and black, taking the shape of a bird's beak at the nose. It clamped onto his face, just like his regular mask did, and his prom tuxedo complimented it nicely. Starfire had done a pretty good job!"Here we are." He said, looking around. "I don't see Shade anywhere…"

"Perhaps you should take some time to enjoy the _dance_ first?" Starfire cooed, pulling him along. The orchestra was playing already, and the dance floor was definitely open. Dozens of couples danced merrily, all around and to the beat. Starfire made sure Robin was distracted, because Raven was on her way as well. They made a stop after a few minutes of dancing, at the punch bowl where Cyborg was hanging out. "Friend, where is Beast Boy? I have not spied him this evening!" She looked around, but saw no one with green skin, which would've been a dead giveaway, mask or no.

"I saw him earlier, talking to the drummer of that band." Cyborg laughed, handing them both a cup of punch. "Take it easy, ya'll. It's a party after all!" He rhymed, then realized he had and laughed again. He was _certainly_ enjoying himself.

"Beast Boy is doing the _flirting_, yes?" Starfire asked, not looking amused.

"Probably, yeah." Robin sighed. "Wonder where–?" He fell silent suddenly, just like everyone else in the room. Raven had arrived.

Her purple hair gave her away, but that's not all. Her white garb adorned her body, frills sewn into the tips of the cloak. It hung open so her body was in view… held together with a white rose. Her dress/leotard hybrid had a low V-neck, expressing but not showing off her small breasts. Her hair was pulled gently back since it wasn't too long, and her mask was already on. It was as though it were made of white, hardened silk. It had complicated patterns of Azarathian decoration on it, with two small holes just right for her eyes. It had a little white ribbon to hold it on, and there it stayed. Raven noticed she was being stared at by countless… but she tried not to look like she cared. She was… **_gorgeous_**.

Robin and Cyborg both stared, their jaws on the floor. Starfire rushed right over to her as the party started back up again. "Friend, your outfit is most _beautiful_! You must tell me of its construction!" She looked Raven up and down, and the redhead blushed.

"It's a party, not a permanent thing…" Raven said, turning a little red in the cheeks.

Beast Boy arrived suddenly, looking dumbfounded. "Raven, is that _you_?" he gasped, his jaw hitting the floor right next to Cyborg's and Robin's. He was in a dress shirt and dark pants, and a small white mask, not too different from Robin's normal one, was on his face. (He'd given up trying to figure out what a vampire mask might look like, and went with something easier at the last minute…) "You look……" Beast Boy couldn't even find a word.

"Thanks." Raven said, searching the crowd with her eyes as she spoke.

"Hey look, finger food!" Beast Boy pointed. "Single chicks always hang out near the buffet table!" He grabbed Cyborg and they were off on the hunt. Robin shook his head, but Starfire only smiled hopefully for them.

"So, where's your date?" Robin asked.

"He'll be here." Raven said evenly. "If you're so curious as to who he is, stick around until midnight. He's coming to dance with me, and then…" she trailed off, pretending she saw someone she knew in the crowd. "I'm gonna go and… _uhm_… mingle." She finished lamely. "See you two later." Raven hovered serenely through the crowd, the only one in all white. A speck of white in a sea of colors.

Shade watched her from where he was in the room. It was almost time, he knew. _Almost_. It was only matter of time… it was almost _eleven_. Then, there wouldn't be much time left before –

Later on, Cyborg and Beast Boy were finally conversing with a pair of girls at the buffet table. Cyborg took one out on the dance floor. "So do _you_ wanna dance?" The tall blonde asked Beast Boy.

Beast Boy locked up. Someone had said _yes_ at LAST… and he froze over. He'd spent so much time on learning how to try and get a yes… he'd never pondered what would happen if he actually _got one_. She stared at him for a long time… then lost interest and left. Beast Boy thawed out as soon as she was gone. "No! _Come back_! Noo-!" he wept comically, then resigned to look for better fish to fry. He spotted Raven walking amongst the people of the party, and went to see her. "Hey Raven, so when's this Shade guy showing up?" He asked, bouncing to the rhythm of the song the band was playing. (The band and the orchestra were taking turns so the musicians could have some fun too)

"He'll be here right before midnight." Raven looked at the mighty clock at the far end of the hall. It's huge face read eleven-fifteen. Raven's heart started beating faster against her tiny ribcage. It was almost time…

"Well, _cool_!" Beast Boy said, grinning at her. "I'll see you later! I think that drummer chick is calling my name!" He danced away from her, towards a girl that Raven didn't even bother to look at. She was more worried about when Shade would show up…

She kept her eyes peeled for someone dressed in all black… aside from a tuxedo. He would be a dark figure in a sea of colors… just like she so often was. But for now, she was dressed in white. A purity amongst so many others that she'd reached since she'd met him. Raven blushed at nothing at all, cupping her cheek. She saw Robin and Starfire dancing merrily in the crowd, and Robin had his mind off of Shade for the moment. Raven could tell this because he was smiling and laughing.

Raven marveled at all that had happened because of Shade. One of the biggest parties in Jump City history, all these people… all this manpower, food, resources, and so much more… all because of _him_, she knew. Her heart started to rev up at eleven forty-five. It was almost time. It was almost –!

The band came to a screeching halt, and every single light in the Grand Hall went out. There were gasps of shock and fear, for only the candles at the tables remained lit. Shade had set that up too, Raven knew. Suddenly, a spotlight blared to life, aimed at the rafters. There, at the very peak of the hall's ceiling… was Shade. But wait… he was _different_.

His mask had changed and his black, skintight suite had gotten a leathery sheen all its own. It was Shade… _all dressed up_. Raven looked on in wonder, and gasped. Her brooch… _it was on his forehead_. The glass gem had been embedded into his very mask, and it glittered for all to see. The white slits that were his eyes looked down upon the crowd, and a microphone was suddenly in his hand. The voice distorter sounded even stranger to the microphone, but he was still easily understood, "Ladies and gentlemen of Jump City, thank you all for coming. The Gotham City orchestra would like to thank you for your kind money donations… and wishes to announce they'll be back in five months for another set of shows." Everyone broke into applause, except for the Titans. What was he _doing_ up there? Shade's head turned towards the huge clock, and a huge light turned on behind the white surface. It was lit up, and was readable in the dark. "The midnight hour has almost arrived. It's time for the last dance. Gentlemen, take your partners out onto the dance floor."

There was a large shuffling as his request was followed. Men and women, young couples and old came to the massive dance floor, paired up. And there in the center stood the one in white. Raven. She looked up at him in awe, "Shade…" she whispered.

" Gotham orchestra." Shade said softly, so that the microphone barely picked him up. Every musician in the house looked up at him if they hadn't already been doing so. "A good, slow tune for the last dance." Musicians suddenly scrambled for their instruments, and soon a song was decided on. The spotlight went out, along with the clock. It was total darkness again. A few seconds went by, and then sparkles of light began raining from the ceiling. A slow, glittering snow of silvery confetti…? Raven felt someone close to her, and she turned. "May I have this dance?" Shade whispered, offering her his arm.

Raven took it as a spotlight on the ceiling turned on them both. She flushed as a large circle was made around them on the dance floor. Others were dancing, but only seemed natural for the host and his partner to have a little more space. She felt him gently take her hand and upper back. Raven clasped his hand gently, and put her other hand on his shoulder. In a slow, easy four-step dance… they began.

The orchestra played a gentle, slow tune that was clearly meant for romantic dances. Especiallyfor couples likeStarfire and Robin. They danced romantically, completely entranced with each other. Raven leaned into Shade, a more romantic dance in mind. He put his arms around her as they rocked back… and forth… back… and forth… Raven sighed softly, tears almost in her eyes. She could feel Shade's head on her shoulder, and she nuzzled him tenderly. Her mask bent slightly but she didn't care. His mask went all the way around his head like a helmet, she noticed. It had the three clasps on it she'd heard with her eyes closed, securing it firmly to his head.

**Dong.**

The entire crowd turned, looking up at the huge clock that was at the head of the Grand Hall. It was _midnight._ Everyone knew what that meant. It was time to unmask.

**Dong.**

Robin took off the mask Starfire had made, revealing his super hero mask. Starfire followed the suite, holding it gingerly in her hands. Robin turned to see Raven and Shade, under the spotlight. They were still dancing, but they were slowing down. Starfire stood next to him, staring as well.

**Dong**.

"Kinda like a fairytale, huh?" Shade whispered in Raven's ear as their dance came to a close. "At the stroke of twelve the spell gets broken?"

"I know…" Raven whispered. She was trembling, and she couldn't stop for some reason. It was all coming down to this. At the stroke of twelve…

**Dong.**

"I wonder who he is…?" the mayor whispered to his wife. Masks were coming off and there was celebration all around them. But the whole thing was muted to the mayor, because he was watching the couple under the spotlight. One was in white, the one called Raven. And one was in black, the one called Shade –!

**Dong.**

Masks were being thrown all over the place like graduation hats. Lovers and young couples alike were throwing them like confetti and embracing each other without a care in the world. Shade let go of Raven, and she held her hand out as he let go of that, too. He backed away from her a few steps so she would have a full view of him.

**Dong.**

Halfway there. Raven's heart was a jackhammer on her chest. Her held out hand came to clutch and calm her distressed heart. Who was behind the mask…?

**Dong.**

Shade looked around, spotting every single Titan looking at him. So, this was the moment of truth. Raven would have to decide if she still wanted him after she saw who he _really_ was… or cast him away into shame.

**Dong.**

He flipped open the first clasp with his left hand. _Snap_. His heart was revving up. He thought he might be sick, but he couldn't allow himself. All he'd worked for was teetering on this moment.

**Dong.**

The second clasp, his right hand took care of. He saw Raven take a deep breath, anticipation mounting. Robin leaned forward just a little, Starfire at his side.

**Dong.**

Shade took a few deep breaths himself, undoing the third clasp. His mask hung loose and Raven's heart leapt, but his hands jumped to support it. She licked her lips in anticipation. It was only moments away…

**Dong.**

He reached, pulling the front and back of the mask apart, little by little. Now, it was time. What would she say? What would the Titans think? Now was the time to find out. His heart was pounding. "Who's behind the mask?" Raven whispered one last time. She held her breath as the mask came away –

**Dong**.

Raven gasped, her pupils shrinking into tiny dots. **_It was –!_** She suddenly felt light-headed and Raven… the most serious Titan anyone would ever know… _fainted_. Shade stood there, exposed to the world.

* * *

_Well, this is the major cliffhanger for the story. I've read through the many, many reviews from many people who have been following this story. Many of you seem to think its Red X, agreeing with Robin. Some of you say it's Robin himself, covering his own tracks very carefully. But how could he spy on Raven if he was behind the mask at the café? One person even thought Shade might be **Starfire**! ; Next time on SHADE! It's the grand finale, so don't miss it! Part eleven, **Revelations**! Who is Shade? We'll find out! _


	11. Revelations?

**Part 11: Revelations?**

_**IT WAS BEAST BOY.**_

Robin stared in absolute, dumbfounded disbelief. How in the world had he pulled it off! Where when why how…? His brain was starting to overload, and he started forward. Starfire caught him, and shook her head. "This is a moment for Raven… and the _Shade_." She whispered. "It would not be wise to interrupt." Robin looked at her, then nodded slowly. He stood back, but kept his eyes trained on them.

"Raven…" She heard her name, and a soft groan escaped her. "_Raven_…" he tried again. She groaned again, he eyes slitting open. There was someone leaning over her… a shape she recognized. "Hey." He said softly. "It's me." She looked up at him. It was Shade alright but… Shade was Beast Boy? Raven couldn't believe it. Beast Boy was who she'd been flirting with, dreaming about, kissing and… _loving_? That last one made her look him in the eyes. "Hey, it's alive." He joked quietly. "Alive and kicking." He murmured, pulling her into a half-sitting position

"Beast Boy…? How…?" Raven whispered, unable to stop staring. He held her up gently, and she touched his cheek. "You're Shade…? …_why_?"

"I like you." Beast Boy said softly, reminding her. "No… I take it back." He whispered, pausing for a moment. "I… _love you_. I love you, Raven." He smiled, but there were tears in his eyes. "I want to be with _you_." He gently held her against himself with his eyes closed, his forehead on hers.

"But… why all this?" Raven wanted to know. "Why this party? Why… why be Shade instead of _Beast Boy_?" He smiled painfully when she said it.

"There's more to me than corny jokes." Beast Boy whispered, drawing back a little so he could see her face. "You would've never given me the chance for… something like this." He took her hand and held it at his chest. His heart was beating like a madman, even though his face was so sober. "You thought I was just Beast Boy the joker, and nothing else…"

"So you made up an antihero I would like… _heh_…" Raven laughed quietly, still paler than normal. "You succeeded." Her smiled warmly at her. She tilted her head as the first of many questions formed in her mind. "How did you keep vanishing?"

"I turned into an ameba and clung to your cape." He smiled. "I was too small to see, so it looked like I'd vanished." Raven nodded in understanding. "When Shade said that he'd gotten back to the tower the same way you did, he wasn't lying. He was clinging to your cape, smaller than a dot."

"But… you spied on me for Robin…" she whispered.

"I told Robin a few details about our date at the cemetery, but nothing… _personal_." He added the last word with an embarrassed smile.

There was a long silence of them staring at each other. Raven finally looked satisfied, and looked at him with softened eyes. "I think… this is the part where you kiss me… so I know that you're the real Shade…"

"I can't." he said, shaking his head at her.

"Why?" she asked, almost on the verge of tears. There was a long silence, as though he was waiting for her to guess. When she didn't, helaughed slightly. He gently raised a finger and pointed at her face.

"Your mask is in the way." He smiled wider. Raven actually gave a little laugh, and reached for it. Beast Boy's heart lifted. Her laugh was beautiful, just like her. Closing her eyes, she removed it. She opened them again, and they were moistened with emotion. "That's _better_…" He said, setting it aside for her next to his own mask. They drew close…

"Sha…… no…" Raven stopped herself before she said it. Her eyes fell closed… "_Beast Boy_…" she moaned softly. His lips pressed against hers. Her arm came up and hooked around him, pulling him to her.

Lightning and thunder blazed through Nevermore as the emotions burst into wild cheers. The girl dressed in soft red smiled shyly, all the other emotions jumping and celebrating.

Rolls of emotion played across Raven's mind, flashing out skyward in the form of a thousand streaks of light. Ravens (_birds_) the size of butterflies flew into the crowd, spectral and chirping. The pair was in the middle of it all as her emotionally influenced powers aligned perfectly. A pillar of white light blazed skyward, blasting a hole in the roof and lancing out into space. It crossed the stars, a symbol of love… it took the shape of a white Raven… no… a _dove_, screeching as its wings flared wide.

Raven moaned happily into the kiss, pressing harder. It _was_ him. _It really was him_. Her outfit glittered, ripping to shreds to reveal her normal super hero outfit beneath it. It was a sparkling, blinding white that Beast Boy could see even through his closed eyelids.

He felt her hands wander his back, and finally… after what felt like an age, the kiss broke. He looked down at himself, and blushed. The Shade outfit had turned white was well. Raven smiled knowingly, patting him a few times. He helped her to her feet, ready to face the world. The white-clad couple turned to face their friends… and suddenly the Grand Hall exploded with clapping and cheering and woof whistles. Both teens blushed as cameras flashed and people yelled and screamed for their happiness.

Their three remaining friends were upon them as the light finally faded. Cyborg grabbed Beast Boy and administered a huge noogie. Starfire hugged Raven tightly, jumping up and down. Robin shook his head, an odd smile on his face. "I should've known…" he murmured, folding his arms before outright grinning.

"Y'know… you had us all fooled, BB." Cyborg said, his arm around his buddy's shoulder. "But… _is that gonna happen every time you two kiss_?" He pointed skyward. There was a twenty-foot wide hole in the roof. Beast Boy and Raven blushed deeply, looking up at it and laughing nervously. "I think you two owe these people a new _sunroof_." Cyborg grinned at them.

"We'll see what we can do about that." Raven said, her outfit glittering. Beast's Boy's outfit returned to black, and he peeled it off right there. Under it was his normal super hero costume, with the purple stripe down the middle. "Prepared to be _anybody_ tonight, huh?" Raven watched him simply toss the Shade outfit over his shoulder.

"Uh huh." He smiled at her. "Just as long as whoever I am is near you." Raven blushed, slipping her hand into his as they made their way towards the exit. There in the wreckage of the hole in the roof, was Raven's mask. Next to it was Shade's mask, leaning on each other like the people who wore them. And, on the inside of Raven's mask, written in tiny lettering, was a short poem. It was written small, but it was in all capital letters… A message from Beast Boy that Raven would _never_ forget.

'**CAST ASIDE THE RAVEN AND LET LOOSE THE DOVE, SPREAD ITS WINGS ACROSS THE SKY, AND GIVE IN TO YOUR TRUE LOVE_'_**

END

* * *

_Well? Did you guess right, or did I blow your mind? I was surprised that four or five people put all the clues together and guessed it right! Beast Boy is Shade. So… what did everyone think? I hope you enjoyed my fan fic, and I'll have you know I'm already working on the next one! If you liked this story click on my screen name, Will the Titan, and check out some of my other stuff if you want. Thank you so much for reading, and I hope you enjoyed yourself. (smile) **OH! I ALMOST FORGOT! STICK AROUND A LITTLE LONGER FOR THE BLOOPER REEL! I LOVE BLOOPERS!**_

**_P.S. _**I would like to thank "Nevermore the Raven" for showing me such great support during the story. _Thankies_!


	12. BLOOPER REEL

_I love movies that have blooper reels during the credits. They always make me laugh, so I thought I'd make some of my own for this story! Were you paying close enough attention to understand them all? I hope so, because I had a great time coming up with them! Please enjoy, and give your final review afterward so I know your thoughts on the story as a whole. Thankies!_

* * *

Part : **_Bloopers_**

****

**_Shade works on his mask_**

A dark, slender figure worked carefully in the night. Hands moving with almost inhuman grace. The dark gave him solace, away from the rest of the world so he would have time to complete his task. A paintbrush in his hand and a buffer in the other… the mask was done. He held it into the small lamp's light, and it glistened with its smooth coat of wax. "Soon." The figure said. "Soon, I'll take you for a test drive. I just need…" The buffer suddenly went off and he squealed, racing around the room as it buffed his face! "Get it off! _Get it off_!" Stagehands rushed in, wrestling with it.

****

**_Mumbo Meets Shade_**

Shade was standing squarely in front of Mumbo. "_Yah_!" He rode his own heels trying to stop, and the wind made his magician's cape flare. He skidded right into him, tackling him to the ground with a cry. Shade's mask came off, revealing a stunt man. "Why _hello_!" Mumbo laughed.

****

**_Raven Reads the First Riddle_**

"Shade… _huh_?" A tiny slip of paper was wrapped around one of the thorns, then pierced to hold it in place. It was no bigger than a fortune cookie's fortune, and she carefully pulled it free. There was a tiny, typed pair of sentences on it.

_I want you… I want you in the **worst** way… Which is standing up in a hammock._

Raven burst into laughter, holding the wall for support. "What's so funny?" Mumbo said from the ground. Raven showed it to him and he roared with laughter, holding his sides. "Who did that? Beast Boy, was this your idea?"

(Behind the camera) "Dude, don't look at me!"

****

**_Raven Meets Shade at the Statue_**

Raven stood near the statue, looking up at the moon. Then, she looked down at the statue's shadow. When was he com– _The shadow was_ _wrong_! Raven whirled and found Shade leaning on the statue. His hand was palming one of the statue's breasts. She struggled not to laugh, fighting a grin. Shade moving his fingers like he was squeezing it. "Raven has nice boobs too. Don't you think, Siren?" He looked up at the statue. Raven burst into laughter, doubled over.

****

**_Beast Boy Asks Raven About her Café Trip_**

"Meet anyone interesting there?"

"Uh huhm…"

"Who?"

"Uh huhm…"

"Ah…?" Beast Boy could tell she wasn't paying attention, but that's what was weirding him out. Raven was always sharp and focused, and she wasn't meditating right then… "Raven, I want you... Standing up in a hammock. Thought you should know." They both burst out laughing, and everyone behind camera was rolling in laughter.

****

**_Raven Meets the Nun_**

A nun suddenly appeared, making her jump. "Saints alive…" the sister whispered, looking at the girl's gothic outfit. From her black leotard to her jeweled belt, all the way down to her dark blue cloak. The nun crossed herself as she approached the Teen Titan. "Are you _Raven_?" she said softly, holding her lantern up to see better.

"Yes." Raven said, trying to keep her voice casual. Nuns made her nervous.

"**_Stick 'em up, demon_**!" The nun pulled out a crossbow! Raven ran away screaming. The nun laughed, pulling off her face to reveal it was _Beast Boy in a rubber mask_! "This… is… great!" He cried between laughs. "It's not even _loaded_!"

****

**_Raven Meets the Nun TAKE 2_**

A nun suddenly appeared, making her jump. "Saints alive…" the sister whispered, looking at the girl's gothic outfit. From her black leotard to her jeweled belt, all the way down to her dark blue cloak. The nun crossed herself as she approached the Teen Titan. "Are you _Raven_?" she said softly, holding her lantern up to see better.

"Yes." Raven said, trying to keep her voice casual. Nuns made her nervous. The nun suddenly whipped out a bottle of holy water and pitched it on her! "Nooooo-! I'm melting! _I'm melting_….!" Raven began sinking into the floor. "Oh what a world what a world…!" she burbled, melting until only her cloak remained.

"Uhm…… oh…._kay_…" said the Director.

****

**_Raven's Heated Dream_**

"_Need help_?" Raven sat bolt up on her bed. _Someone_ was in her room. It was too dark to see anything but shapes. She stood, and saw a familiar shape in the darkness.

"Shade…" she whispered. He wasted no time in removing his mask and going to her. It was too dark to see his face. He eased her back down onto the bed. Raven moaned when his lips found hers, and she curled against him when he joined her on the bed. His hands wandered heatedly and Raven's leotard was being unzipped… "Shade… _ahn_…" she couldn't find words as her cloak was tossed away… the carnal heat was upon them, and she groaned as his kisses began to wander…… "Oh… _Shade_…" she suddenly sat bolt up, a whip in her hands! Her clothes fell away to reveal a hard, black leather outfit. Raven was a _demonatrix_!

"Holy _shit_!" Shade cried, falling back on his butt.

"Who said you could _talk_?" Raven snapped, cracking her whip.

(Someone behind the camera…) "_Cool_…"

"_Shaddup_!" Raven shouted, trying not laugh and cracking her whip again. Everyone but Shade laughed. "April Fools, Shade." She winked at him and he shuddered.

****

**_The Statue at the Graveyard_**

Raven stood with Shade, and she realized they were standing in front of the angel statue. It seemed to be offering them both a hand. Shade silently reached and cupped Raven's cheek. She shut her eyes, leaning her head against it. Suddenly the statue grabbed them both by the neck. Raven cried out in terror as Shade squealed like a little girl. A stone mask fell off to reveal _Robin_! "_Gotcha_!" He laughed.

Raven and Shade looked at each other, then simply gave him a shove. Cemented into the statue, he fell backward with a cry!

****

**_Raven Asks Shade's Identity_**

But, finally she had to ask again. "Why won't you tell me who you are? I don't even know your _eyes_, wearing that dark mask…" Raven whispered.

"We all wear masks." He whispered back to her. "But, Raven… I am… your _father_! **_Bwahahahaha_**!" Raven snorted with laughter.

"Let's try it _again_…" said the director.

****

**_Robin Councils Starfire_**

"But why did Cyborg and Beast Boy not wish to join us at the show of fireworks?" Asked Starfire.

"Cyborg went to a strip-bar." Robin said as a matter of factly, then started laughing. "And the last time I saw Beast Boy, he had a bag with like a hundred one dollar bills in it. He probably went with him –" Starfire flushed, giggling. She suddenly ducked out of the way as an actor's chair hit Robin on the head, labeled 'Beast Boy.' "Owwch…" Robin stood, only to be hit by another chair. This one was labeled 'Cyborg.' He was down and out.

****

**_Raven Finds her Brooch in the Tae Kettle_**

Raven raced down, into the common room. She threw open her tea cabinet and peered inside. Yanking down her tea kettle, she pulled the top off and three spring-loaded snakes popped out! Raven shrieked, dropping the tea kettle.

(Behind the camera) "Dude! She fell for it!" Raven enchanted the paper snakes with her powers making them _real_, and sent them after the voice's owner. "Aaaaaah! _Run away_!"

****

**_Raven Finds her Brooch in the Tae Kettle TAKE 2_**

Raven raced down, into the common room. She threw open her tea cabinet and Shade popped out! "Booga booga _booga_!" he roared. Raven screamed and fell backward in a panic.

"What the hell are you _doing_ in there!" Raven shouted, desperately clutching her heart. "That's not in the _script_!"

"Oh _brother_…" said the director, throwing his hands up in defeat.

****

**_Raven Reads the Headline_**

Hey _Raaaaaaveeeeen_!" Beat Boy exploded onto the roof, and Raven crashed to the floor. Her hair got her eyes, and she poofed some air out her mouth to move it. She made to glare at him and make him fly off the roof, but he had other plans. "_Lookie_!" He had a newspaper in his hands, and stuffed it up to her face.

Raven took it and read the headline. **_Raven Wanted – Hammocks in Jump City Sell Like Hotcakes. _**Raven burst into laughter, hitting Beast Boy over the head with the newspaper.

****

**_Shade's Identity Revealed_ **

Raven gasped, her pupils shrinking into tiny dots. **_It was Starfire! _**She'd kissed Starfire! Raven passed out, and Starfire laughed. The real Shade came on set and shook Raven's shoulder. No response. "I think you killed her."

"I did not!" Starfire cried defensively. "Awaken Raven! It is I… ahahaha… the _Shade_!" She couldn't stop laughing, but Raven was out cold.

****

**_Kiss Me, Beast Boy_**

"I think… this is the part where you kiss me… so I know that you're the real Shade…" Raven said softly.

"I can't." he said, shaking his head at her.

"Why?" she asked, almost on the verge of tears. There was a long silence, as though he was waiting for her to guess. When she didn't, he fought a grin.

"There's a giant _booger_ right there – in your nose, and its kind creepin' me out." He pointed. Raven laughed, calling for a tissue.

**_Kiss Me, Beast Boy TAKE 2_**

"I think… this is the part where you kiss me… so I know that you're the real Shade…" Raven said softly.

"I can't." he said, shaking his head at her.

"Why?" she asked, almost on the verge of tears. There was a long silence, as though he was waiting for her to guess. When she didn't, he fought a grin.

"I'm… I'm _gay_. I just don't like you that way." He'd started laughing before he'd even finished his sentence. Raven snorted, and he was grinning like an idiot.

**_Kiss Me, Beast Boy TAKE 3_**

"I think… this is the part where you kiss me… so I know that you're the real Shade…" Raven said softly.

"I can't." he said, shaking his head at her.

"Why?" she asked, almost on the verge of tears. There was a long silence, as though he was waiting for her to guess. When she didn't, he fought a grin.

"There's like a hundred people staring at us, and I'm kinda feeling nervous." He said. Raven grinned, shaking her head.

**_Kiss Me, Beast Boy TAKE 4_**

"I think… this is the part where you kiss me… so I know that you're the real Shade…" Raven said softly.

"I can't." he said, shaking his head at her.

"Why?" she asked, almost on the verge of tears. There was a long silence, as though he was waiting for her to guess. When she didn't, he fought a grin.

He dropped her, folding his arms like a five-year old. "I don't _wanna_!" Raven and Beast Boy both shook with laughter.

**_Kiss Me, Beast Boy TAKE 5_**

"I think… this is the part where you kiss me… so I know that you're the real Shade…" Raven said softly.

"I can't." he said, shaking his head at her.

"Why?" she asked, almost on the verge of tears. There was a long silence, as though he was waiting for her to guess. When she didn't, he fought a grin.

The Director started laughing out of nowhere. Raven and Beast Boy turned slowly and stared at him. "What the crap is **_he_** laughing at?" Beast Boy wanted to know.

**_Kiss Me, Beast Boy TAKE 6_**

"I think… this is the part where you kiss me… so I know that you're the real Shade…" Raven said softly.

"I can't." he said, shaking his head at her.

"Why?" she asked, almost on the verge of tears. There was a long silence, as though he was waiting for her to guess. When she didn't, he fought a grin.

"Your mask is in the way." He smiled. She took it off, and he pulled her into a kiss. Since slow-motion photography was being used, they didn't have to hold it for long. "You had tacos for lunch, huh?"

"_Beast Boy_!" Raven shrieked, turning bright red.

"Of for the love of –" The director moaned. Off camera, Cyborg and Robin started laughing.

**_Kiss Me, Beast Boy TAKE 7_**

"I think… this is the part where you kiss me… so I know that you're the real Shade…" Raven said softly.

"I can't." he said, shaking his head at her.

"Why?" she asked, almost on the verge of tears. There was a long silence, as though he was waiting for her to guess. When she didn't, he fought a grin. "Am I not _good_ enough for you?" she asked, looking very offended. Beast Boy laughed helplessly.

**_Kiss Me, Beast Boy TAKE 8_**

"I think… this is the part where you kiss me… so I know that you're the real Shade…" Raven said softly.

"I can't." he said, shaking his head at her.

"Why?" she asked, almost on the verge of tears. There was a long silence, as though he was waiting for her to guess. When she didn't, he fought a grin. "You know what?' she whispered suddenly, looking impatient.

"What?" he asked. Suddenly she grabbed him, overpowering him with an awesome kiss like no other! Every stagehand present laughed as he squirmed helplessly in the lip lock.

"So _there_!" Raven said, standing and leaving him laying there.

There was a long silence. "…What'd **_I_** do?" Beast Boy said, wiping his mouth in disbelief. He was suddenly hit on the head with an actor's chair labeled 'Raven.' He fell, his eyes in swirls.

****

**_A New Sunroof_**

. "But… _is that gonna happen every time you two kiss_?" Cyborg pointed skyward. There was a twenty-foot wide hole in the roof. Beast Boy and Raven blushed deeply, looking up at it and laughing nervously. "I think you two owe these people a new _sunroof_." He grinned at them. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a chunk fell from the ceiling and bonked Robin right on the head. Out cold.

"Holy _crap_!" Cyborg shouted as they all knelt around him. "Medic! Medic!" No one was coming, and he continued to shout in panic. "_Medic_! White boy down! _White boy wonder down_!"

****

**_END of Blooper Reel_**

* * *

**Advertisement**: _If you enjoyed Shade, you might wanna read **Raven's Game**. It's one of my other Teen Titans stories, mostly focused around Raven! Huzzah! Come see if you feel like it! I love getting reviews on my work! Horror slash mystery genre, and Raven's the star of her own video game! Yay!_


	13. Author's Wrath at Kid Flash

_Prepare for random ramblings… I just saw the Teen Titans episode with Kid Flash in it… _

* * *

Shade popped out of nowhere, right behind Kid Flash. "_You stupid jerk!_"

"Huh?" Kid Flash turned around just in time to get kicked in the face.

"How could you freaking copy off me Will thought of that rose things waaaay before you did I'm gonna cream your freakin' face you copycat!" Shade stomped up and down on Kid Flash, greeted with an 'oof!' 'oof!' every time. They became a comical cloud of fighting, but it was actually just Kid Flash getting the snot beaten out of him.

Suddenly, Raven and Jinx burst in. "_Where is he_!" they both demanded at the same time.

"How dare you copy off that hard-working author, Will-the-Titan!" Raven demanded, jumping into the fray. "I'll rip your balls off and put them on a _stick_!"

Jinx had Kid Flash in a headlock, though his eyes were already in swirls. "Will-the-Titan thought that rose thing up and _that_ was romantic! You're just a stupid, hyperactive **_copycat_**!" She was repeatedly punching the top of his head. "He's so much cooler not to mention better-looking than you, you stupid **jerk**! **_RRRRGH_**!"

By the time they were done with him there were several teeth missing and several large knots on his stupid, stupid head. He was hanging upside down by a rope, a little sign around his neck that read 'copycat' and 'jerk.'

* * *

_**Yeah**! That's what you get for **copying me**, Kid Flash! **RRRRGH**! Wow… I feel so much better now. No one copies Will-the-Titan! NO ONE! **Wha-ha-ha-ha-ha**! (throws hands up in diabolical laugh) But seriously, wasn't that just a freaking **shock**? My mouth was hanging open the whole freakin' episode! Kid Flash leaving **roses**? I was tearing my hair out!_


End file.
